EGYPT 


INDIA 


BURMA 


TR/^LS 

IN  THE 

FAR 
EAST 


SIAM 


CHINA 


JAPAN 


CEYLON 

ELLEN  MH 
JAVA  PECK 


MAN- 
CHURIA 


KOREA 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 


GIFT  OF 

William  E.   Colby 


TRAVELS    IN    THE    FAR   EAST 


^.^^i^^i^SaiMSSS^k 


TRAVELS 


IN 


THE  FAR  EAST 


BY 

ELLEN   M.  H.  PECK 

(Mrs.  James  Sidney  Peck) 


'  NEW    YORK 
THOMAS    Y.  CROWELL   k   CO. 
PUBLISHERS 


Copyright  190P 
By  Ellen  M.   H.   Peck 


GIFT 

■J 


THE    UNIVERSITY   PRESS,    CAMBRIDGE,    U.  S.  A. 


^>       ■■■       ^ 


OZYMANDIAS 

I  MET  a  traveller  from  an  antique  land 
Who  said :  Two  vast  and  trunkless  legs  of  stone 
Stand  in  the  desert.     Near  them,  on  the  sand, 
Half  sunk,  a  shattered  visage  lies,  whose  frown, 
And  wrinkled  lip,  and  sneer  of  cold  command. 
Tell  that  its  sculptor  well  those  passions  read 
Which  yet  survive,  stamped  on  these  lifeless  things. 
The  hand  that  mocked  them  and  the  heart  that  fed : 
And  on  the  pedestal  these  words  appear : 
"My  name  is  Ozymandias,  king  of  kings; 
Look  on  my  works,  ye  Mighty,  and  despair ! " 
Nothing  beside  remains.     Round  the  decay 
Of  that  colossal  wreck,  boundless  and  bare 
The  lone  and  level  sands  stretch  far  away. 

—  Percy  Bvsshe  Shelley 


M781757 


To  My  Daughtkr 


FOREWORD 

AS  the  inspinition  which  caused  the  making 
^^^  of  tliis  "  Tour "  came  from  my  daughter 
(the  "you  "  of  my  story),  and  as  she  wished 
a  record  of  the  same  pubhshed,  my  desire  has 
been  to  give  her  as  complete  an  idea  of  my  jour- 
neyings  as  is  possible  by  descriptive  text  and 
illustrations.  The  interest  of  friends  in  the  plan 
has  caused  them  to  be  included  in  my  thought, 
and  if  the  public  desire  to  be  added  to  the  per- 
sonal ac(juaintances  whom  1  regard  as  my  readers 
it  will  pro\  e  ii  pleasant  recognition  of  a  modest 
plan. 

The  nine  months  tour  included  Egypt,  North- 
ern India,  Burma,  Southern  India,  Ceylon,  Malay 
Peninsula,  Java,  Siam,  Southern  China,  Japan, 
Northern  China,  Manchuria,  and  Korea. 

Realizing  that  impressions  suddenly  formed 
are  not  always  to  be  trusted,  an  attempt  has 
been  made  to  have  them  tested  by  comparison 
with  those  formed  by  a  longer  residence. 

In  like  manner  only  statements  have  been 
made  on  the  authority  of  those  who  claimed  to 
have  knowledge  and  experience.  The  lack  of 
guidance  of  either  a  Baedeker  or  a  Murray  has 


X  FOREWORD 

been  felt  in  Java,  Siam,  China,  Manchuria,  and 
Korea,  small  local  guide  books  and  guides  not  be- 
ing an  equivalent  as  regards  accurate  testimony. 

May  these  pages  prove  a  pleasant  reminiscence 
to  those  who  have  visited  the  scenes  described, 
and  an  introduction  to  those  who  have  not  thus 
travelled,  but  some  of  whom  may  plan  to  "do 

likewise." 

E.  M.  H.  P. 

Milwaukee,  December,  iyo8 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Milwaukee 1 

Chicago 1 

Nkw  York '  .     .  1 

The  Azores .  4 

Gibraltar ,     .     .     .     .  4 

Marseilles 5 

Port  Said 7 

Cairo 9 

Suez  Canal 34 

Aden,  Arabia 36 

Bombay 37 

Jeypore 48 

Delhi 56 

Agra 67 

Fatehpur-Sikri 76 

Cawnpore 79 

LUCKNOW 80 

Benares 82 

SiLlGURI 88 

Darjeelinc; 89 

Calcu'ita  .     .     .    ' 93 

Burma 97 

Prome 109 

Rangoon c     .     .     .     .     .  109 


xii  CONTENTS 


PAGE 


Shwe    Dagon Ill 

Madras 116 

Tanjore 118 

Trichinopoly 120 

Madura 122 

tuticorin 124 

Colombo 124 

NuwARA  Eliya 127 

Kandy 129 

Anuradhapura 132 

Ceylon 141 

Batavia,  Java 145 

BuiTEXzoRc;  .     .     .     , 147 

Garoet ,     .     =  150 

Djokjakarta 154 

Maos 166 

Bangkok 174 

Singapore 201 

JOHORE 201 

Hong-Kong .  204 

Canton 209 

Macao .216 

Shanghai 225 

Nagasaki 229 

Kobe 231 

Onomichi 232 

Osaka 233 

Kyoto 234 

Nara 246 

Yamada 248 

Nagoya „ 250 


CONTENTS  xiii 

PAGE 

YOKOHA^FA      .....  251 

NlKKO  . J^52 

ToKio mo 

A  Visit  to  North  China i^()4 

Peking ^7S 

Tientsin 301 

Shanhaikwan 302 

Mukden 305 

NlUCHWANG 309 

Dalny 310 

PoRr  Arthur    .............  310 

Chemui-I'o,  Seoul  . 317 

Toward  Yokohama 326 

Homeward  Bo[jnd      ....„'..,...  345 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 


The  Pyramids  from  the  Nile,  Cairo  ....    Frontisimce 

Meshrebeeyeah  windows 6 

A  bridge  spanning  the  Nile  at  Cairo      .     .      .     .      .  10 

The  peculiar  head-dress  of  the  Cairo  women  .           .  12 

The  Mosque  of  Amr 1  ({ 

The  interior  of  the  Tomb  Moscjue  of  Kalaun  20 

Fountain  in  the  Mosque  of  Sultan  Hasan  ...  24 

Openwork  dagobas 26 

Citadel  and  Mosque  of  Mahomet  Ali 28 

The  obelisk  marking  the  site  of  Heliopolis       ...  82 

The  Suez  Canal  near  Port  Said 3() 

Aden,  Arabia 38 

Victoria  Station  at  Bombay      .     .   ff 40 

Queen's  Road  at  Bombay 42 

Country  scene  in  Bombay 44 

A  Tower  of  Silence 46 

Entrance  to  one  of  the  Caves  of  Elephanta      ...  48 

Street  scene  in  Jeypore 50 

A  Hindu  woman-of  Jeypore 52 

Interior  view  of  Amber  Palace 54 

General  view  of  Amber  Palace  and  fort  near  Jeypore  56 
A  gateway  built  during  the  seventeenth  century  in 

Delhi 58 


xvi  ILLUSTRATIONS 


'AGE 


The  Pearl  Mosque  at  Delhi 58 

The  Hall  of  Private  Audience  in  the  Palace,  Delhi   .  GO 

Jumma  Musjid,  Delhi GO 

The  toml)  of  Emperor  Humayun 64 

Northern  colonnade  of  the  Islam  mosque,  showing 

ruined  arch 66 

Kutul)  Minar,  the  Tower  of  Victory  in  Old  Delhi     .  68 

Gateway  leading  to  Taj  Mahal 70 

Taj  Mahal 70 

Screen  in  Taj  Mahal 70 

Shah  Jahan  and  his  wife  in  whose  memory  the  Taj 

was  built 70 

Agra  Palace  and  part  of  wall  and  gateway  to  the 

fort 72 

An  Octagon  Tower  of  the  Agra  Palace       ....  72 

The  Pearl  Mosque 74 

Akbar's  tomb  in  Sikandra 74 

General  view  of  Fatehpur-Sikri 76 

A  column  in  the  Audience  Hall  (Diwan-i-Khas)  .      .  78 

Jasmine  Tower  and  mstant  view  of  the  Taj    ...  80 

The  ghat  at  Cawnpore 80 

The  Residency  at  I>ucknow 82 

Bathing  ghat,  Benares 84 

Burning  ghat,  Benares,  where  cremations  occur  .  .  84 
The  Tojie  of    Sarnath  and  the  Jain  Temple  near 

Benares 86 

A  view  of  Darjeeling  and  the  Kanchanjanga  Range  88 

A  Nepaulese  group 90 

The  Government  House  in  Calcutta 94 

An  avenue  of  palms  in  the  Botanical  Gardens      .      .  96 


ILLUSTRATIONS  xvii 


PAGE 


Fort  Dufferin  and  the  moat,  Mandalay     ....  98 
Mandalay  palace  and  its  tower,  called  The  Centre 

of  the  Universe 98 

The  Arakan  Pagoda 100 

One  of  the  four  gateways  to  the  450  Pagodas     .     .  100 

The  Queen's  Golden  Monastery 102 

Karen  women  in  Mandalay 102 

Burmese  country  house  near  Mandalay     .      .      .      .  104 

A  national  dance  at  Mandalay 106 

On  the  Irrawaddy  River,  near  Sagoing      .      .      .      .  108 

General  view  of  Rangoon 110 

Shwe  Dagon  Pagoda  at  Rangoon    .     .     .     .      .      .  112 

Entrance  gateway,  Shwe  Dagon  Pagoda    .      .      .      .  112 

Chapels  on  platform  around  Shwe  Dagon,  Rangoon  112 

Elephants  carrying  logs  at  Rangoon 114 

The  (xilded  Sule  as  seen  from  Hytche  Square     .      .  114 

General  view  of  Madras 116 

The  Great  Subrahmanya  Temple  at  Tanjore      .      .  118 

Fort  Rock,  Trichinopoly 120 

The  Golden  Lily  Tank,  Madura     .      .    v     .      .      .  122 

Entrance  to  the  Madura  Temple 122 

Street  Scene  in  Colombo 124 

General  view  of  Nuwara  Eliya 128 

General  view  of  Kandy 130 

Entrance  to  the  Botanical  Gardens,  Kandy   .      .      .  132 

Temple  of  the  Sacred, Tooth  in  Kandy      ....  132 

Ruins  of  Anuradhapura 134 

Near  the  Sacred  Road,  Thuparama  Dagoba        .      .  136 

The  Moonstone  Steps 138 

Mihitale  Steps 140 

2 


xviii  ILLUSTRATIONS 

*  PAGE 

Street  scene  in  Kandy,  Ceylon 142 

The  canal  in  the  old  city  of  Batavia 144 

Batavia,  Java 146 

View  of  Mt.  Salak  from  the  Hotel  Belle  Vue       .     .  148 

A  village  scene  in  Garoet,  Java 150 

The  crater  of  Papandajang 152 

The  ruined  temple  of  Prambanam 154 

Bas-reliefs  in  the  Siva  Temple,  Prambanam  .      .      .  154 

The  stairs  leading  to  a  Prambanam  temple    .      .      .  154 
The  Three  Graces  in  the  Lara  Jongram  Temple, 

Java 156 

The  old  temple  at  Mendoet   ........  158 

Boro  Boedor,  in  Java 162 

Stairway  of  Boro  Boedor,  Java 162 

Boro  Boedor,  Java,  showing  one  part  of  the  gallery  162 

A  public  square  in  Djokjakarta,  Java 164 

Designing  sarongs  in  Batavia      .     .     .      .     .     .     .  166 

Landscape  near  Batavia 168 

Javanese  vegetable  sellers 170 

A  Javanese  dignitary  and  his  attendants   .      .     .     .  172 

The  King  of  Siam 174 

In  the  Royal  Palace  of  Wang  Chang,  Bangkok  .     .  180 

Entrance  to  Prakeo,  the  Royal  Temple     .      .     .     .  182 

The  Klong  Canal  at  Bangkok 184 

The  famous  Elephants'  Kraal 188 

Tower  of  Royal  Palace  at  Ban-Pa-In 190 

A  Siamese  girl 192 

A  royal  barge  at  Bangkok 194 

The  collier  quay  at  Singapore 200 

The  Sultan's  Palace  at  Johore 202 


ILLUSTRATIONS  xix 


I'AGE 


A  general  view  of  Hong  Kong 204 

The  public  gardens  in  Hong  Kong 204 

A  typical  street  in  a  Chinese  city 206 

A  five-story  pagoda 210 

Temple  of  the  Five  Genii  at  Canton 212 

The  San  Paulo  Facade 214 

The  bund  at  Macao,  called  Praia  Grande      .      .      .  216 

The  bund  at  Shanghai 224 

Mogi  Road  at  Nagasaki 228 

The  main  street  in  Kobe 280 

The  fort  and  castle  at  Osaka 232 

The  rapids  near  Kyoto 234 

Bamboo  Avenue  in  Kyoto 234 

The  Golden  Pavilion 236 

The  largest  pine  tree  in  the  world  at  Lake  Biwa     .  238 

Kasuga  Temple 242 

The  Temple  of  Ise  (Yamada)     . 248 

Nagoya  Castle 250 

The  way  to  the  Temple,  leyasu 254 

Kokamon :  lemitzu  Temple 254 

A  five-story  pagoda 256 

The  gate  called  Yomeimon 258 

The  Imperial  Palace  at  Tokio .  200 

Court  of  the  Temple  Shiba  at  Tokio 262 

Gate  of  Chionin  in  Kyoto 264 

Ueno  Park  pagoda 264 

The  Little  Ori)han  Rock  in  the  Yangtse  River  .      .  268 

Road  to  Kaling  above  Kia-Kiang 270 

The  Hankow  bund 272 

The  Great  Wall  at  Peking     .     ,     r 274 


XX  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGK 

Hata-men  Gate 27G 

Peking  girls 278 

Llama  Temple 278 

A  Peking  cart 280 

The  Confucius  Temple 280 

Temple  of  Classics 280 

The  Inner  Temple  of  Heaven 282 

Outer  Heaven,  Temple  of  Heaven,  Peking     .      .      .  284 

The  White  Pagoda  of  the  Yellow  Temple      ...  286 

The  Winter  Palace  of  the  Forbidden  City      ...  288 

View  from  the  Forbidden  City 288 

Marble  Terrace  of  the  Summer  Palace      ....  290 

Marble  Bridge  of  the  Summer  Palace 290 

Nankow  Pass 292 

A  tower  of  the  Great  Wall 294 

Five  Arch :  First  pailow  of  the  Ming  Tomb  .      .      .  294 

Emperor  Yunglo's  tomb 296 

Emperor  Kwangsu  of  China 298 

The  Dowager  Empress  of  China 300 

Gordon  Hall  at  Tientsin 302 

Old  gateway  of  Tientsin 302 

The  Temple  at  Mukden 306 

Dalny 310 

Port  Arthur  before  the  siege .312 

Tiger-Tail  Promontory  and  Port  Arthur  during  the 

conflict 314 

203-Metre  Hill,  Port  Arthur  — The  last  point  to  be 

taken 316 

The  city  wall  and  gate  of  Seoul 318 

A  group  of  Koreans' 320 


ILLUSTRATIONS  xxi 


I'AGK 


All  old  toiiil)  of  a  liigh  official 822 

A  white  marble  pagoda  in  Seoul 824 

Street  scene  in  Seoul 820 

Torii  Miyajima 828 

Stone  lanterns,  Miyajima 880 

Islands  of  the  Inland  Sea 332 

Mississippi  Bay        334 

View  of  Miyanoshita 886 

Theatre  Street  in  Yokohama 840 

Mountains  around  Hakona    .      .  ^ 842 

Mount  Pali,  Honolulu .  844 


Travels  in  the  Far  East 


MILWAUKEE,  October  ^Ith,  1907:  The 
adieux  have  been  said,  the  friends  have 
departed,  and  the  train  is  moving  slowly 
out  of  the  station ;  a  profusion  of  flowers,  tempt- 
ing new  books,  and  other  gifts  are  visible  proofs 
of  the  thoughtfulness  of  friends  on  the  eve  of  a 
long  journey  in  untried  fields,  and  it  seems  as  if 
I  had  lost  my  moorings  and  was  drifting  out  on 
an  unknown  way. 

Chicago  is  reached,  and  after  a  hurried  trans- 
fer of  trains  I  am  speeding  on  to  my  objective 
point,  New  York.  An  interval  of  two  days  and 
there  is  a  hurried  departure  for  the  pier  and 
'*the  die  is  cast." 

There  is  always  a  sense  of  exhilaration  on 
the  sailing  of  a  steamer  from  New  York, 
despite  the  sadness  of  the  leave-taking;  and 
the  receipt  of  many  gifts,  telegrams,  and  letters 
keeps  up  the  excitement  until  after  the  departure 
of  the  pilot.  But' as  the  shore  line  recedes  and 
we  drift  out  to  sea,  there  comes  a  realization  of 
an  entire  change  of  environment  and  of  the 
rending  of  former  interests,  which  is,  of  itself, 


2        TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

a  fine  preparation  for  the  mental  equipment 
necessary  to  assimilate  the  new  scenes  to  be 
visited. 

The  November  Second  party  of  CoUver  Tours 
"Round  the  World,"  sailing  on  the  Friedrich  der 
Grosse,  North  German  Lloyd  line,  was  to  em- 
brace ten  individuals,  aside  from  an  accom- 
plished Director,  each  to  be  independent  of 
the  other,  but  all  supposed  to  fit  into  a  har- 
monious whole.  After  the  formal  presentations 
were  over,  there  came  a  sense  of  relief,  for  re- 
fined manners,  culture,  and  the  experience  of 
much  travel  were  apparent,  and  promised  well 
for  the  months  of  companionship  which  were 
to  ensue. 

The  localities  represented  by  the  several 
members  in  the  party  were  as  follows :  Boston, 
three;  Philadelphia,  four;  New  York,  one; 
Lafayette,  Indiana,  one;  Ottawa,  Illinois,  one; 
and  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin,  one.  This  is  an 
indication  of  varied  personality  and  diversified 
taste. 

The  elements  did  not  prove  propitious  in 
the  days  that  followed  our  departure,  and  we 
were  forced  to  bear  the  stress  of  wind  and  storm 
with  becoming  resignation,  feeling  personally 
thankful  for  indemnity  from  fatal  results.  Such 
a  voyage  does  not  lend  itself  to  much  diversion 
or  variety  of  interests,  but  there  were  the  usual 
attempts  at  gayety  in  the  line  of  dancing,  music, 


MY  TRAVELLING    COMPANIONS     3 

and  the  exhilarating  "Captain's  dinner  ";  hence 
with  congenial  })eople  the  days  were  pleasantly 
whiled  away.  x'Vmong  the  fellow  passengers 
were  some  former  friends,  but  I  will  mention 
only  those  who  in  a  sense  belong  to  the  public. 

There  was  Mr.  Edward  P.  Allis  with  his 
family;  he  was  formerly  of  Milwaukee,  but  for 
many  years  has  been  a  resident  of  Mentone, 
France,  where  he  has  continued  his  researches 
along  biological  lines,  and  where  he  has  also 
superintended  the  publication  of  a  valuable 
magazine  relating  to  his  special  subject.  I  am 
happy  to  state  that  he  has  received,  in  con- 
sequence, distinguished  recognition  from  the 
French  Government,  even  the  decoration  of  the 
Legion  of  Honor.  He  is  also  the  recipient  of 
orders  from  other  foreign  governments,  and 
the  Wisconsin  University  has  conferred  a  high 
degree  upon  him. 

Another  friend  was  Dr.  Baldwin,  of  Rome, 
Italy,  who  has  an  international  reputation  as 
a  specialist  on  diseases  of  the  heart. 

A  new  acquaintance  was  Mr.  Theodore  M. 
Davis,  of  Newport,  Rhode  Island,  who  from 
November  to  April,  on  his  finely  appointed 
dahabiyeh,  makes  the  Nile  his  home,  at  Luxor. 
For  some  years  he  has  superintended  valuable  ex- 
cavations in  the  Tombs  of  the  Kings  at  Thebes, 
defraying  the  expense  of  the  work  himself.  He 
holds  the  only  concession  granted  by  the  Egyp- 


4        TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

tian  Government,  on  condition  that  the  result 
of  his  discoveries  become  the  property  of  the 
State;  these  so- termed  '* finds"  are  very  valu- 
able, and  a  special  room  has  been  devoted  to 
them  in  the  Museum  of  Gizeh  at  Cairo. 

Our  arrival  at  the  Azores  was  the  first  ex- 
citement of  the  voyage,  and  I  had  expected  to 
renew  the  pleasant  associations  of  the  day  we 
passed  together  on  San  Miguel,  at  the  pic- 
turesque city  of  Ponta  Delgada.  But,  alas ! 
we  sailed  on  and  there  was  only  a  mem- 
ory; by  the  subtle  power  of  association  another 
memory  haunted  me  also,  that  of  Funchal, 
Madeira,  with  its  balmy  air  and  luxuriant 
vegetation. 

Gibraltar:  The  world-renowned  fortress  of 
Gibraltar  was  reached  after  some  hours'  delay, 
and  we  were  welcomed  by  sunshine  and  a 
June-like  temperature. 

The  attractions  there  are  not  numerous,  but 
they  are  unique;  unfortunately,  a  visit  to  the 
fortified  galleries  is  now  denied  to  visitors,  but 
a  beautiful  drive  to  Europa  Point  and  to  the 
neutral  ground,  together  with  a  walk  through 
the  park  called  the  Alameda,  is  a  fair  com- 
pensation. The  shops  which  line  the  narrow 
streets  possess  an  Oriental  aspect,  and  the  general 
view  of  the  massive  fortifications  afforded  much 
interest  to  those  who  had  not  made  a  previous 


MARSEILLES  5 

visit.  But  the  picturesqueness  of  former  visits 
—  the  motley  crowd  of  Moors,  Arabs,  Spaniards, 
and  Turks  at  the  wharf  —  was  lacking ;  while 
the  venders  of  fruit,  flowers,  and  laces  were  far 
less  numerous,  but  quite  as  persistent,  as  of  old. 

November  \^th:  The  steamer  Magnolia,  of 
the  P.  &  O.  line,  became  our  home  to  Port 
Said,  named  for  the  Viceroy  of  Egypt,  who 
granted  the  concession  for  the  building  of  the 
Suez  Canal.  We  were  at  once  charmed  with  the 
general  arrangement  of  the  vessel,  the  salons 
for  ordinary  use  being  large  and  airy ;  the  state- 
rooms were  smaller  than  those  of  the  Atlantic 
service,  but  were  finely  ventilated. 

The  passage  to  Marseilles,  France,  consumed 
about  thirty-six  hours,  and  the  time  was  spent 
partly  in  planning  a  sight-seeing  expedition  to 
take  place  immediately  after  our  arrival.  The 
Gulf  of  Lyons,  however,  gave  us  a  stormy  re- 
ception; and,  as  the  gale  (mistral)  increased, 
the  harbor  was  reached.  To  be  near  a  destina- 
tion and  yet  unable  to  enter  the  port  was  most 
tantalizing ! 

Marseilles:  The  approach  to  Marseilles 
is  rather  disappointing,  as  there  are  intervening 
islands  of  bare  rocks ;  but  later  the  heights  ap- 
pear, the  Church  of  Notre  Dame  de  la  Garde 
being  a  prominent  feature  of  the  view. 


6        TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR   EAST 

Owing  to  the  delay  in  landing,  only  two  hours' 
stay  on  shore  was  granted,  which  was  a  great 
disappointment  to  many  of  us,  but  less  so  to 
me,  as  I  had  previously  visited  the  city,  and 
remembered  the  enjoyment  derived  from  my 
stay  there. 

On  our  return  to  the  steamer,  a  novel  sight 
presented  itself.  The  vessel  was  anchored  close 
to  the  dock  on  which  is  a  low  embarkation  shed, 
fronting  on  a  wide  passage-way,  which  was  now 
filled  with  a  motley  group.  At  the  back  there 
was  a  fringe  of  color  from  many  baskets  of 
fruit,  flowers,  and  plants  in  charge  of  dealers, 
clad  in  costumes  of  varied  hues,  with  red  shawls 
tied  over  their  heads.  Each  hawker  was  intent 
on  extracting  coins  from  the  interested  specta- 
tors, who  hung  over  the  side  of  the  steamer.  In 
the  foreground  were  acrobats  of  every  descrip- 
tion, dressed  in  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow; 
among  them  was  a  group  of  five  musicians  of 
tender  years,  an  acrobat  in  pink  tights  who  was 
exploiting  the  skill  of  his  little  daughter,  scarcely 
five  years  of  age,  and  another  similarly  cruel 
father,  who  was  compelling  a  little  girl  to  go 
through  all  manner  of  contortions.  There  was 
also  a  group  of  little  girl  dancers.  This  pictur- 
esque but  painful  sight  impressed  us  with  the 
necessity  for  the  establishment  here  of  a  society 
for  the  prevention  of  cruelty  to  children. 

Two  hundred  and  fifty  more  passengers  were 


Meshrebeeyeah  windows 


PORT  SAID  7 

added  to  the  steamer  list  at  Marseilles,  and 
henceforth  the  vessel  was  to  be  taxed  to  her 
utmost  capacity.  Most  of  the  passengers  were 
en  route  for  a  five  weeks'  voyage  to  Australia, 
many  of  them  were  friends,  and  a  general  spirit 
of  jollity  prevailed,  the  decks  presenting  the 
appearance  of  a  seaside  veranda,  with  their 
tables,  lounging-chairs,  work-baskets,  and  toys. 
A  '* sports  "  committee  was  at  once  formed, 
and  games  of  all  kinds  were  played  (always  for 
prizes),  while  a  concert,  dances,  and  bridge  en- 
livened the  evening  hours. 

On  the  night  of  November  17th  we  passed 
the  volcano  of  Stromboli  (now  inactive),  our 
steamer  gliding  between  it  on  one  side  and  the 
isles  of  Pina  on  the  other;  some  hours  later  the 
Straits  of  Messina  were  reached;  while,  farther 
on,  the  island  of  Candida  was  passed.  A 
church  service  was  held  aboard  both  morning 
and  evening  (the  latter  in  the  second-class  salon) , 
this  being  the  invariable  rule  on  English  steamers. 

Port  Said,  November  20th:  As  we  ap- 
proached Port  Said,  everything  w^as  at  first 
shadowy  —  the  lighthouse,  a  group  of  palms, 
and  a  minaret  seeming  to  rise  out  of  the  sea. 
There  were  a  few  points  of  land  called  Damietta, 
but  all  else  was  flat.  At  last  we  steamed  into 
the  harbor,  anchoring  at  the  mouth  of  the  Suez 
Canal,  and  were  taken  ashore  in  a  launch  amidst 


8        TRAVELS   IN    THE   FAR  EAST 

a  confused  yelling  of  voices,  —  indeed  a  perfect 
Babel. 

With  only  three  or  four  hours  in  Port  Said, 
there  was  little  time  for  a  close  survey,  but  we 
walked  through  some  of  the  streets,  called  at  a 
few  shops  of  no  special  interest,  and  had  after- 
noon tea  at  one  of  the  hotels,  to  the  accompani- 
ment of  music  furnished  by  native  musicians. 
We  had  always  heard  Port  Said  spoken  of  as 
'*the  wickedest  place  in  the  world,"  and  we 
commented  on  the  apparent  absence  of  such  a 
condition;  but  we  were  assured  by  one  of  the 
tourists  that  wickedness  did  exist,  and  we  ac- 
cepted the  statement  without  an  attempt  to 
verify  it. 

Port  Said  gains  its  })rincipal  importance  from 
being  the  starting-point  of  that  great  water-way, 
the  Suez  Canal,  of  which  we  form  our  first  im- 
pression from  the  fact  that  ten  years'  time  was 
required  for  its  construction  and  $100,000,000 
were  expended  on  the  work,  the  payment  of 
which  impoverished  Egypt  and  was  one  of  the 
causes  that  led  to  the  protectorate  of  England. 
This  is  said  to  be  a  humiliating  condition  to  all 
true  Egyptians. 

The  monument  at  Port  Said,  raised  in  honor 
of  Ferdinand  de  Eesseps,  as  the  founder  of  the 
enterprise,  emphasizes  France's  contribution  to 
the  project. 


CAIRO  9 

Cairo,  November  20th:  A  late  train  to  Cairo 
caused  us  to  arrive  near  midnight,  an  inoppor- 
tune time  for  first  impressions,  but  the  memory 
of  a  former  visit  caused  a  pleasant  anticipation 
of  scenes  to  be  revisited.  A  week,  however,  was 
too  short  a  time  in  which  to  cover  the  ground, 
but  by  persistent  effort  on  our  part  much  was 
accomplished. 

Having  headquarters  at  Shepheard's  Hotel  — ■ 
with  its  foreign  arrangement  of  rooms  and  fur- 
nishings, together  with  its  gayly  attired  attend- 
ants, many  of  them  costumed  in  red,  yellow, 
green,  or  blue  silk  trimmed  with  gilt,  and  wear- 
ing silk  turbans  to  match  —  gave  us  at  once  an 
Oriental  environment.  The  central  location  of 
the  building,  with  the  opportunity,  also,  which 
the  wide  terrace  afforded  guests  for  making 
observations,  offered  us  an  immediate  insight 
into  the  unique  life  of  the  city.  The  venders 
of  fruit,  flowers,  postal  cards,  and  souvenirs 
formed  a  foreground  of  many  colors,  while 
beyond  was  an  unceasing  flow  of  motley  car- 
riages, native  vehicles,  carts,  donkeys,  and 
camels,  and  sometimes  two  resplendent  out- 
riders (called  *' Sikhs  "),  on  fine  chargers,  her- 
alded the  approach  of  some  dignitary,  —  a 
custom  which  is,  however,  dying  out. 

The  most  novel  sight  which  came  to  our  notice 
was  a  wedding  procession,  the  bride  being  ever 
carefully   concealed   by  silken   curtains   thrown 

3 


10      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

over  either  a  carriage  or  a  peculiarly  constructed 
litter  borne  by  two  camels,  one  at  the  front  and 
one  at  the  back;  a  band  of  music  preceded, 
followed  by  vehicles  of  many  different  kinds 
containing  members  of  the  bridal  party,  all  en 
route  for  the  bride's  home. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  Cairo,  while  in 
one  sense  a  modern  city,  presents  many  clearly 
defined  mediaeval  phases ;  this  is  particularly 
true  throughout  its  native  quarters,  as  exempli- 
fied in  streets  and  bazars  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
Nile,  and  in  its  old-time  mosques;  in  this  con- 
nection I  would  emphasize  the  bazars,  both 
Turkish  and  Arabic.  Some  of  the  old  irregular 
thoroughfares  on  which  the  bazars  are  situated 
radiate  from  the  wider  and  more  important 
Muski ;  then,  again,  there  are  narrower  alley- 
like streets,  a  veritable  tangle!*  The  bazars 
everywhere  are  similarly  constructed,  but  vary 
in  size  and  importance;  they  are  boxlike  in 
form,  from  four  to  six  feet  in  width,  and  six  to 
eight  feet  in  height,  and  are  raised  one  or  two 
feet  from  the  ground,  with  three  sides  enclosed 
and  the  fourth  open  to  the  street  by  day,  but  at 
night  closed,  the  fourth  wall  sliding  into  place 
like  a  folding  door. 

Here  is  usually  to  be  found,  for  a  certain  dis- 
tance, but  one  kind  of  goods,  be  it  slippers, 
brass-work,  or  embroideries,  alternating  with 
eatables,  fruit,  pipes,  and  the  like,  there  being 


>; 


SHOPS   IN   CAIRO  11 

no  attempt  at  classification.  Woe  be  to  the 
unwary  who  approach  these  bazars  without  the 
abihty  to  *' bargain" ;  for  there  is  ever  a  scale  of 
prices,  and  the  topmost  one  is  usually  exorbitant ! 

Within  the  open  space  of  his  shop  sits  the 
dealer,  ready  for  the  contest,  sometimes  com- 
placently sipping  his  coffee,  or  smoking  a  cigar- 
ette, the  long  Turkish  pipes  having  been  largely 
abolished.  The  courtesy  of  coffee  or  a  cigarette 
is  often  extended  to  the  purchaser,  which  pos- 
sesses a  mollifying  effect  if  the  discussion  over  a 
purchase  has  w^axed  high. 

It  is  said  that  the  scenes  in  the  Turkish  bazars 
on  a  fete  day  are  like  a  picture  from  the  ''Arabian 
Nights,"  the  places  being  illuminated  by  many 
candles  or  chandeliers,  and  covered  by  awnings 
formed  of  rich  shawls,  scarfs,  and  embroideries 
brought  from  the  interior.  This  gives  each 
bazar  the  appearance  of  a  reception  room,  with 
the  dealer  seated  within,  dispensing  hospitality, 
every  one  being  dressed  in  holiday  attire.  The 
bazars  in  Cairo  are  considered  an  important 
feature  of  the  life  of  the  city  (as  they  are  in  every 
place  throughout  the  Eastern  or  Western  Orient), 
but  they  are  less  attractive  than  those  I  visited 
in  Tunis,  Constantinople,  or  Damascus. 

The  crowd  that  is  passing  the  shops  often 
proves  more  interesting  than  the  display  within, 
as  there  are  natives  of  all  ages  and  descriptions, 
Arabs,  Bedouins,  Turks,  and  Egyptians,  some 


n      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

mounted  on  donkeys  and  some  driving  heavily 
laden  camels.  Water-carriers  with  jars,  mostly 
women,  are  among  them,  while  the  natives 
usually  carry  under  the  arm  the  characteristic 
pigskin,  filled  with  water.  These  are  the  sights 
to  be  seen,  together  with  the  venders  of  fruit  and 
vegetables,  alternating  with  richly  equipped 
carriages,  and  funeral  or  bridal  processions. 
Men  and  women  in  their  Oriental  dress  jostle 
the  crowd  of  sight-seers  who  ever  throng  these 
ways. 

In  these,  but  more  often  in  a  better  class  of 
streets,  we  pass  the  lovely  meshrebiya  windows, 
with  their  intricate  turned  lattice-work  designs ; 
they  are  very  frequently  oblong  projecting 
windows,  but  instead  of  glass  there  is  used  the 
fine  tracery  or  lattice- work  in  wood.  Sad  to 
relate,  this  fine  work  is  sharing  in  the  general 
decay  to  be  found  in  the  old  quarters  of  Cairo, 
and,  in  a  few  years,  the  tourist  will  only  be  able 
to  view  the  specimens  even  now  being  sent  to 
the  Arabian  Museum,  which  institution  is,  by 
the  way,  doing  a  splendid  work  in  preserving 
and  classifying  all  artistic  remains,  notably  those 
from  the  crumbling  mosques. 

Except  in  the  matter  of  decay,  I  found  little 
change  in  the  native  portion  of  the  city  since 
my  visit  in  1898 ;  but  the  aspect  of  the  city  proper 
has  grown  modern.  Fine  new  streets,  public 
buildings  and  residences,  are  seen  everywhere  in 


^ 


ISMAILIAN   HOMES  13 

the  Ezbekieh  and  Ismailian  quarters  of  the  city, 
while  certain  sections  suggest  a  European  capital. 
The  Ezbekieh  Gardens,  opposite  the  Continental 
Hotel,  form  really  a  small  park  in  the  centre  of 
the  city,  and  are  a  great  resort  for  tourists  as 
well  as  residents. 

The  Ismailian  is  the  fashionable  quarter  of  the 
city,  and  it  is  said  that  many  wealthy  citizens 
have  left  their  former  luxurious  native  homes 
for  a  modern  residence  in  the  new  section. 
Hence  many  dealers  in  the  bazars  have  secured 
the  deserted  Oriental  homes,  and  now  live  in 
comparative  luxury,  showing  that  conditions  and 
residential  centres  change  in  the  Old  World  as 
well  as  in  the  New. 

But  note  how  much  more  attractive  the 
original  hqme  must  appear  to  native  eyes.  A 
passage  leads  from  the  street  to  a  spacious  court, 
and  grouped  around  the  court,  which  usually 
has  a  fountain  in  the  centre  (with  sometimes  one 
or  two  trees),  are  the  rooms  for  general  use  and 
those  assigned  to  guests.  The  apartments  oc- 
cupied by  the  women  of  the  family,  commonly 
called  the  harem,  are  not  visible,  but  are  generally 
spacious  and  well  furnished,  even  luxuriously 
appointed,  with  inlaid  floors,  decorated  walls, 
and  rich  rugs.  The  light  filters  through  either 
meshrebiya  or  flat  latticed  windows,  for  no 
profane  eye  can  gaze  on  the  supposed  loveliness 
of  damsel  and  dame,  nor  can  they,  in  their  turn, 


14      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

gaze  outward  for  any  distance,  which  shows  the 
restricted  social  condition  of  the  women. 

It  is  said  that  they  are  virtually  regarded  with 
contempt,  and,  though  usually  kindly  treated  in 
the  harem,  they  are  considered  only  as  orna- 
mental appendages  of  the  home ;  hence  they  are 
rarely  educated,  and  never  in  more  than  those 
accomplishments,  such  as  music  and  dancing, 
which  tend  to  add  to  their  attractiveness. 

The  better  classes  of  women  are  always  seen 
veiled,  and,  with  the  peculiar  covering  over  the 
nose,  one  can  only  judge  of  their  appearance  by 
their  often  very  beautiful  eyes.  Oh,  the  infinite 
sadness  to  be  found  in  the  depths  of  many  of 
them  ! 

I  was,  however,  told  by  a  gentleman,  long 
resident  in  Cairo,  that  there  are  indications  of  a 
gradual  change  as  regards  education,  the  wives 
of  a  few^  high  officials  having  been  educated  on 
broader  lines  than  mere  accomplishments ;  hence 
it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  leaven  will  work  in 
time.  It  may  also  be  found  later  that  the  trans- 
ference of  the  harem  from  an  Oriental  home  to  a 
Number  9  residence  on  a  fashionable  street  will 
lessen  the  seclusion  heretofore  imposed. 

The  Nile  is  always  a  centre  of  interest,  not  only 
for  those  who  explore  it  to  the  cataracts  or  Khar- 
toum, but  for  natives  and  tourists  who  throng 
its  banks  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  queer  sailing 
craft,  and  to  watch  the  never-ending  procession 


GLIMPSES   OF   THE   NILE  15 

that  passes  over  it,  —  men,  women,  vehicles, 
and  animals  filling  every  available  space. 

It  is  quite  the  fashion  for  parties  of  tourists  to 
repair  to  the  bridge  at  5  a.  m.  in  order  to  watch 
the  marketmen,  venders  of  all  kinds,  and  the 
heavily  laden  donkeys  and  camels  fulfilling  their 
part  in  the  labor  of  supplying  the  city  markets. 

Once  across  the  bridge,  the  procession  from  the 
country  is  even  more  picturesque;  and,  viewed 
from  a  waiting  ''tram  "  in  the  late  afternoon, 
when  all  are  homeward  bound,  the  scene  is 
most  incongruous.  Sometimes  four  or  five 
heavily  veiled  women  in  black  robes  are  seen  on 
one  of  the  long  two- wheeled  carts,  drawn  by  an 
emaciated  horse  with  a  native  at  his  head  as  a 
propelling  power;  next,  follow  a  flock  of  geese, 
two  or  three  score  of  goats,  a  group  of  sheep,  four 
or  five  camels  looking  down  with  a  superior 
air  on  the  donkeys,  as  well  as  pedestrians  of 
many  complexions  and  of  varied  dress  —  Arabs, 
Bedouins,  Soudanese,  and  Egyptians,  —  their 
queerly  shaped  turbans  and  brilliant  colors 
lending  the  finishing  touch  to  the  scene.  No- 
where else  in  the  Orient  does  such  a  view 
present  itself,  and  its  setting  is  the  Nile ! 

The  last  glimpse  of  the  Nile,  the  evening 
before  my  departure,  will  never  be  forgotten. 
The  occasion  was  an  invitation  to  indulge  in 
afternoon  tea  at  the  Hotel  Semiramis,  near  the 
entrance  to  the  bridge.     We  lingered  on  for  the 


16      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

sunset,  which  first  appeared  as  a  flaming  ball  of 
fire,  succeeded  by  myriad  shades  of  rainbow 
hues,  these  fading  into  softer  tints  and  later  into 
those  more  delicate  tones  that  prelude  the 
twilight.  Then  silence  seemed  to  brood  over 
the  wonderful  river,  and  we  departed. 

If  the  street  scenes,  the  bazars,  and  the  Nile 
are  an  index  to  the  native  life  of  Cairo,  a  greater 
claim  may  be  made  for  the  mosques,  in  which 
the  city  abounds;  for  they  represent  political 
changes,  social  evolution,  and  artistic  develop- 
ment, as  history  proves.  To  substantiate  this 
claim  of  the  mosques,  a  brief  digression  is 
necessary. 

The  origin  of  Cairo  dates  back  to  the  Muslim 
invasion  in  640;  the  original  Arab  settlement 
was  called  Fustat,  the  *'Town  of  the  Tent," 
which  is  substantially  the  old  Cairo  of  to-day. 
Here  was  erected  almost  at  once  the  first  mosque, 
that  of  Amr,  sometimes  called  Amru.  In  751  a 
northeast  suburb  was  added,  called  El  Askar; 
this  was  to  be  the  residence  of  the  Governor,  and 
here  also  was  erected  the  Mosque  of  El  Askar. 
Keeping  still  to  the  northeast,  another  city  was 
added,  in  860,  by  the  first  independent  Muslim 
King  of  Egypt,  Ibn  Tulun,  called  El  Katai ;  the 
"wards"  became  divided  into  separate  quarters 
for  various  nations  and  classes,  and  here  was 
erected  the  remarkable  Mosque  of  Ibn  Tulun. 
A  fourth  city  still  farther  northeast  was  added 


Jv 

^ 

^ 

^ 


MOSQUE   BUILDING  17 

a  little  over  a  century  later,  called  El  Kahira 
(the  Cairo  of  to-day) ;  this  did  not  become  the 
commercial  capital  of  Egypt,  but  occupied  the 
same  relation  to  Fustat  that  El  Askar  and 
Katai  held.  The  Town  of  the  Tent,  resting  on 
the  bank  of  the  Nile,  still  remained  the  metrop- 
olis, as  it  did  after  the  fall  of  both  El  Askar  and 
Katai  —  the  disaster  to  these  latter  cities  giving 
additional  prestige  to  El  Kahira. 

The  building  of  a  mosque^  was  regarded  by 
the  rulers  not  only  as  an  expression  of  religious 
zeal,  but  as  a  contribution  to  the  life  of  the  State. 
Several  mosques  were  erected  during  the  two 
centuries  of  Arab  rule,  but  Amr  was  the  first 
and  most  important.  It  is  situated  near  the  site 
of  the  old  Roman  city  of  Misr,  where  Amr  first 
pitched  his  tent,  on  the  invasion  of  Egypt. 
The  outside  of  the  old  mosque  is  not  imposing, 
but,  with  the  vast  court  forty  thousand  feet  in 
area,  surrounded  by  colonnades  consisting  of 
numberless  columns  with  every  variety  of  capi- 
tals (taken  from  Christian  churches),  it  excites 
our  admiration.  Wooden  beams,  stretched  from 
column    to    column,    formerly    supported    one 

'  Realizing  from  personal  experience,  as  well  as  from  obser- 
vation, that  the  mosques  are  too  hurriedly  visited  and  too  little 
understood,  an  attempt  at  classification  has  here  been  made,  as 
well  as  to  give  them  a  certain  setting.  This  may  prove  a  rem- 
iniscence to  those  who  are  familiar  with  the  mosques,  and  an  in- 
centive to  investigation  on  the  part  of  those  who  are  yet  to  visit 
Cairo. 


18      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

hundred  and  eighty  thousand  hanging  lamps 
which  ilkiminated  the  edifice  every  night,  while 
throngs  of  learned  men,  professors,  and  persons 
of  many  conditions  gathered  there  daily  for 
lectures  and  discussion.  The  great  convocation 
was  on  Friday,  when  a  sermon  and  prayers  were 
the  order  of  the  day,  the  immense  court  afford- 
ing ample  space  for  the  multitude,  while  the 
large  east  end  sanctuary  gave  room  for  persons 
of  distinction  to  kneel.  The  mihrab,  or  niche, 
where  worshippers  turned  toward  Mecca,  the 
pulpit,  and  the  tribunal  were  also  features  of 
the  edifice.  We  now  see  little  of  the  original 
mosque,  for  it  has  been  remodelled  from  time 
to  time ;  but  it  still  remains  the  best  type  of  the 
congregational  mosque  (called  Gami,  meaning 
''assembly"),  and  to  me  it  seemed,  as  I  looked 
upon  it,  one  of  the  most  impressive  monuments 
of  a  dead  past  that  I  had  ever  seen. 

With  the  political  change  in  868,  which  in- 
troduced the  Turkish  period,  Ibn  Tiilun  became 
the  ruler,  and  another  era  of  mosque  and  palace 
and  hospital  building  prevailed.  The  Mosque 
of  Ibn  Tuliln  is  the  only  monument  that  sur- 
vives; it  is  also  a  congregational  type  and  has 
the  same  general  style  as  Amr;  it  is  the  earliest 
instance  of  the  use  of  the  pointed  arch  through- 
out a  building,  this  being  two  centuries  earlier 
than  its  use  in  England.  Five  rows  of  arches 
form   the   arcade,    or   cloisters,    on   the    Mecca 


NOTABLE   MOSQUES  19 

end  of  the  building,  with  two  rows  on  the  other 
three  sides.  The  ornaments  on  the  arches  and 
around  the  windows  are  in  stucco,  and  are 
worked  by  hand  in  the  plaster,  instead  of  being 
moulded  as  is  the  stucco  work  of  the  Alhambra. 
These  consist  of  a  bud,  flower,  and  rosette  pat- 
tern. Another  century  passed  on,  when,  in 
969,  the  victorious  Gauhar  forced  the  passage 
of  the  Nile  and  assumed  possession  in  behalf 
of  a  Fatimid  caliphate  (named  Fatimid,  for  a 
daughter  of  Mohammed).  This  event  presaged 
a  religious  as  well  as  a  political  change,  for  the 
Fatimids  were  apostates  from  the  true  faith 
and  advocated  the  doctrines  of  Shi'a,  one  of 
the  tenets  being  that  the  Koran  had  been 
created,  and  another  that  there  had  been  Mo- 
hammeds  or  inspired  men  in  every  century. 
Shi'a  now  became  the  State  religion,  and  for 
two  centuries   held   sway  over  Egypt. 

This  period  was  famous  for  palace  building, 
and  the  descriptions  of  the  magnificence  and 
luxurious  furnishings  read  like  a  fairy  tale. 
Mosque  building  was  not  neglected,  and  there 
are  two  notable  examples  of  the  congregational 
form.  El  Azhar  and  El  Hakim.  El  Azhar  was 
founded  by  Gauhar  on  April  3,  970,  and  in 
988  it  was  especially  devoted  to  the  uses  of 
learning.  It  soon  became  one  of  the  chief  uni- 
versities of  the  time,  and  in  1101  there  were 
nine  thousand  students  and  two  hundred  and 

4 


20      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

thirty-nine  professors.  The  foreign  students 
even  now  pay  no  fee  and  are  allowed  rations 
of  food,  there  being  an  endowment  for  this 
purpose.  It  is,  however,  still  used  to  a  certain 
extent  as  a  mosque;  but  it  does  not  now  pre- 
serve the  regular  plan  of  a  mosque,  having 
been  remodelled  and  added  to  several  times. 
It  has  six  minarets  and  a  spacious  court  cover- 
ing three  thousand  six  hundred  square  yards, 
with  one  hundred  and  forty  columns  and  nu- 
merous side  chambers  which  are  devoted  to 
lectures,  libraries,  and  laboratories. 

At  the  time  of  our  visit  this  court  was  filled 
with  individual  groups  of  about  thirty  students, 
each  around  a  professor;  they  were  sitting 
cross-legged  on  the  floor,  and  were  chanting 
their  lessons  with  a  swaying  motion  of  the  body. 
A  class  of  small  children  was  of  special  interest, 
studying  passages  of  the  Koran  from  cards. 
The  Mosque  of  El  Hakim  was  completed  in 
1013,  and  was  so  resplendent  throughout  that 
it  was  known  as  the  "Brilliant."  This  mosque 
has  suffered  more  indignities  than  even  the 
old  Amr,  but  the  vast,  empty  court,  with  its 
partly  ruined  arches,  still  has  a  certain  dignity. 
There  were  originally  five  minarets. 

Leaving  the  Mosque  of  El  Hakim  on  the 
right,  we  have  Bab  El-Futuh,  the  Gate  of  Cap- 
ture, which  is  connected  by  the  city  wall  with 
the  companion  Bab  En-Nasr,  or  Gate  of  Vic- 


'Si 

I 


CHIEFLY  HISTORICAL  21 

tory.  These  two  gates  guard  the  strong  north- 
east extremity  of  the  old  city  fortifications, 
and  in  1799  formed  a  strong  position  for  the 
troops  of  Napoleon.  With  Bab  Zuweyler,  they 
are  the  most  important  of  the  sixty  gates  which 
once  existed  in  the  wall  of  Cairo.  They  have 
an  inner  and  outer  entrance  and  resemble  a 
Roman  gateway. 

The  Fatimid  rulers  outvied  each  other  in 
embellishing  Kahira  with  artistic  structures; 
this  seems  surprising  because,  on  account  of 
the  charge  of  heresy,  Kahira  was  cut  off  from 
the  Arabian  centres  of  art  and  learning,  —  from 
Bagdad,  Damascus,  and  Cordova,  —  and  of 
course  the  artists  and  students,  who  formerly 
frequented  the  mosques,  could  not  do  so  when 
they  were  in  the  hands  of  heretics.  This  con- 
dition of  affairs,  together  with  other  causes, 
produced  a  crisis,  as  v/ill  be  seen. 

The  advance  of  Amalric  and  the  Crusaders, 
in  1168,  not  only  resulted  in  the  downfall  of 
the  Fatimids,  but  in  the  destruction  of  old 
Fustat,  Shawar,  the  ruler,  having  issued  a  man- 
date for  it  to  be  burned  in  order  to  prevent  the 
city  from  becoming  a  refuge  for  the  Crusaders. 
The  fire  lasted  fifty-five  days,  and  the  city  in  all 
its  magnificence,  having  been  the  metropolis  for 
five  centuries,  perished,  a  portion  of  the  old 
Mosque  of  Amr  alone  remaining.  Kahira  then 
took  its  place  as  the  official  centre  of  Egypt. 


522      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

Saladin,  the  King  of  Jerusalem,  now  became 
ruler  of  Egypt,  and  he  at  once  adopted  strong 
measures  to  win  the  apostates  back  to  the  true 
faith.  With  a  wisdom  far  in  advance  of  his  time, 
he  planned  to  educate  the  followers  of  Shi'aism 
by  the  introduction  of  madrasah  mosques  and 
colleges.  Heretofore  we  have  had  the  Gami, 
or  congregational  mosque,  with  a  severely  plain 
exterior.  The  madrasah  mosques  of  this  period 
contained  a  smaller  court,  which  was  frequently 
capped  with  a  cupola  in  the  centre;  the  sides 
of  the  court,  instead  of  being  surrounded  by 
arcades,  were  formed  of  four  transepts,  each 
spanned  by  a  single  lofty  arch.  The  transept  to- 
ward the  east  was  deeper  than  the  others,  form- 
ing the  niche  for  prayer;  it  was  also  furnished 
with  the  usual  mihrab,  pulpit,  and  tribunal. 
Fine  facades,  minarets,  and  domes  took  the 
place  of  the  usual  plain  exterior;  the  dome  was 
generally  utilized  as  the  covering  of  a  tomb 
or  was  intended  for  future  memorial  use.  The 
religious  exercises  (daily  prayers,  except  on 
Friday,  w^ith  sermons)  were  in  the  nature  of  a 
school  training  in  the  interest  of  the  true  J\Io- 
hammedan  faith. 

The  exterior  of  the  madrasah  college  was  not 
unlike  the  mosque  described,  but  the  interior 
included  facilities  for  theological  lectures,  to- 
gether with  classrooms  and  libraries  for  gen- 
eral study;    the  students  were  received  on  the 


MADRASAH   MOSQUES  23 

very  terms  described  in  connection  with  the 
university  Mosque  of  El  Azhar.  These,  in 
general,  were  the  means  employed  by  Saladin 
to  win  all  back  to  the  true  faith;  in  time  he 
was  successful,  and  Kahira  no  longer  rested 
under  the  stigma  of  heresy. 

The  dignity  of  the  Fatimid  age  was  lowered 
by  Saladin's  quartering  the  officers  of  his  army 
in  the  magnificent  palaces,  while  he  occupied 
the  house  of  the  Viziers.  Shortly  every  monu- 
ment of  the  brilliant  Fatimid  period  had  van- 
ished, with  the  exception  of  four  mosques  and 
the  three  gates  previously  alluded  to.  Saladin, 
however,  inaugurated  a  new  era  of  building, 
and  during  his  nominal  reign  of  twenty-four 
years  three  mosques  and  sixteen  colleges  at- 
test his  zeal  to  the  *' cause."  He  also  built  the 
citadel,  and  the  great  wall  which  was  to  enclose 
not  only  Kahira  but  the  remains  of  the  old 
cities.  To  him  the  present  city  of  Cairo  owes 
its  form  and  extent. 

The  tomb  Mosque  of  Kalaun  was  built  in 
1279  by  the  ruler  of  that  name,  and  is  adjacent 
to  the  fine  hospital,  bearing  the  same  name 
also;  while  not  large,  it  contains  exquisite  ex- 
amples of  wood  carving,  marble  mosaic,  and 
plaster  ornament  worked  in  by  hand.  Seventy- 
seven  years  later,  in  1356,  we  find  that,  in  the 
Mosque  of  Sultan  Hasan,  the  sculpture  was  in 
stone ;  hence,  the  material  being  unyielding,  the 


24      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

designs  are  geometrical,  instead  of  arabesque, 
as  in  the  plaster.  This  is  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant mosques  of  any  age,  and  is  the  most 
characteristic  of  the  madrasah  form.  Seen  from 
without,  the  walls  appear  even  higher  than  the 
accredited  one  hundred  and  thirteen  feet;  they 
are  built  of  fine  cut  stone,  from  the  pyramids, 
and  windows  relieve  the  monotony  of  bare 
surface.  There  is  a  fine  portal,  set  in  an  arched 
niche  sixty-six  feet  high,  which  is  decorated 
with  geometrical  designs  and  which  has  corner 
columns  and  capitals.  The  interior  gives  one 
an  impression  of  immense  size,  on  account  of 
the  great  span  of  the  four  arches;  the  one  at 
the  east  end  is  ninety  feet  high  and  seventy 
feet  wide,  and  is  unequalled.  The  mosaics 
and  marbles,  however,  are  less  artistic  than  in 
the  later  mosques.  The  tomb  chamber,  en- 
tered from  the  east,  has  a  finely  decorated  door 
of  brass,  and  is  encircled  by  a  marble  dado, 
twenty-five  feet  high,  above  which  is  a  verse 
from  the  Koran  carved  in  wood.  In  the  centre 
of  the  room  is  the  grave  of  the  founder.  The 
original  dome  fell  in  1660,  and  was  replaced 
by  an  inferior  one;  there  were  to  have  been 
four  minarets,  but  these  collapsed  also.  The 
court  is  well  proportioned  and  contains  an 
artistic  fountain  for  ablution. 

We  saw  the  bronze  lantern  and  many  of  the 
enamelled  glass  lamps  in  the  Arabian  Museum, 


Fountain  in  the  Mosque  of  Sultan  Hasan 


THE   MOSQUE   OF   KAIT   HEY      25 

which  forms  a  depository  for  ancient  works 
of  art;  the  mosque  has  suffered  greatly  from 
devastation  and  abuse,  but  it  still  retains  a 
prestige  among  its  class  that  not  even  time  can 
efface.  It  is  said  that  Sultan  Hasan  was  so 
delighted  with  the  edifice  that  he  ordered  the 
architect's  hands  cut  off,  for  fear  he  might 
duplicate  his  success,  —  an  act  committed  pre- 
sumably on  the  principle  that  '*the  end  justi- 
fies the  means." 

The  Circassian  as  well  as  the  Turkish  Mame- 
lukes were  great  builders  of  mosques  and  col- 
leges, particularly  Sultan  Barkuk  (1382-1399) 
and  Sultan  KaitBey  (1468-1496).  Their  edi- 
fices are  marvels  of  artistic  skill,  and,  by  the 
time  of  Kait  Bey,  perfection  seemed  almost 
to  have  been  reached.  This  is  particularly  true 
of  the  tomb  mosques,  situated  in  the  mausolea 
on  the  east  side  of  the  city,  and  known  as  the 
Tombs  of  the  Khalifs.  That  of  Barkuk  is 
noticeable,  on  account  of  its  two  superb  domes, 
its  two  minarets,  and  a  carved  pulpit,  the  latter 
erected  by  Kait  Bey.  The  Mosque  of  Kait 
Bey  is,  however,  the  finest  of  the  group;  it 
has  a  lofty  dome,  adorned  with  bands  of  sculp- 
ture, minarets  with  galleries,  and  bronze  doors. 
There  are  beautiful  ivory  carvings  over  the  tomb, 
while  the  edifice  is  lighted  by  fifty  colored  glass 
windows.  Near  by,  the  smaller  modern  tomb 
mosque  of  the  Khedive  Tewfik   (the  father  of 


26      TRAVELS   IN  THE  FAR  EAST 

the  present  Khedive),  which  is  resplendent  with 
a  wealth  of  interior  decorations,  suffers  in 
comparison. 

The  defeat  of  the  Mamelukes,  and  the  Otto- 
man occupation  of  Kahira  in  1517,  caused  no 
cessation  of  mosque  building;  but  there  was 
a  departure  from  the  Saracenic  models,  and 
also  a  still  more  marked  return  to  the  congre- 
gational form  than  had  been  witnessed  in  the 
days  of  the  great  builders  just  noted.  This  is 
evident  in  the  last  great  mosque  of  the  modern 
period,  that  of  Mohammed  Ali  (the  inde- 
pendent monarch),  begun  by  that  ruler,  but  not 
completed  until  1857.  It  is  situated  in  the 
citadel  and  has  an  immense  court,  surrounded 
by  arcades;  but,  unlike  the  original  type,  it 
is  covered  with  an  immense  dome,  producing 
an  impressive  effect.  The  exterior  has  also 
four  smaller  domes  (one  on  each  side)  and 
two  very  tall  minarets,  with  shorter  ones  on 
each  corner.  The  mosque  is  likewise  called 
the  Alabaster  Mosque,  as  the  columns  are  built 
of  yellow  alabaster  and  the  walls  encrusted  with 
it ;  its  location  in  the  citadel  gives  it  a  command- 
ing position,  and,  being  modern,  it  has  escaped 
the  ravages  of  time. 

Only  a  few  representative  mosques  have 
here  been  outlined  architecturally  (several  others 
were  visited),  but  an  attempt  has  been  made 
to  give  these  their  political  and  social  signifi- 


t 


a- 


THE    CITADEL  27 

cance  and  setting.  Of  the  artistic  side  of  the 
picture,  it  is  claimed,  on  high  authority,  that 
there  have  been  manifested,  in  the  construction 
of  these  mosques,  great  architectural  skill,  per- 
fection of  ornament  in  wood,  plaster,  and  stone, 
and  a  careful  adherence  to  Saracenic  principles. 

The  most  conspicuous  point  in  Cairo  is  the 
citadel,  erected  by  Saladin  in  1166,  and  consti- 
tuting a  fitting  monument  of  his  reign.  From 
its  position  and  its  fortification,  it  would  seem 
almost  invincible;  but,  unfortunately,  the  for- 
tress is  itself  commanded  by  the  higher  Mo- 
kattam  hills,  as  was  shown  in  1805,  when 
Mohammed  Ali,  by  means  of  a  battery  placed 
on  a  hill,  compelled  Karishid  Pasha  to  surrender 
the  stronghold.  The  mosque  of  Mohammed 
Ali,  placed  in  the  citadel,  as  already  described, 
can  be  seen  from  every  side,  and  the  barracks 
are  also  a  prominent  feature;  but  the  presence 
of  British  troops  seems  hardly  to  harmonize 
with  the  Oriental  environment. 

A  fine  view  of  the  city  may  be  seen  from  the 
ramparts,  but  it  is  surpassed  by  the  view  to  be 
had  from  the  Mokattam  hills ;  on  our  way  there, 
some  of  the  party  took  donkeys  from  near  the 
citadel,  but  others  ^like  myself)  walked,  if  the 
exercise  of  ploughing  through  the  deep  furrows 
of  sand  may  so  be  termed.  A  slippery  climb, 
and  all  of  Cairo  with  its  environs  lay  before  us  — 
and  such  a  view  !     It  was  in  the  late  afternoon 


28      TRAVELS   IN  THE   FAR  EAST 

of  a  perfect  day;  the  scene  was,  in  the  main, 
Oriental,  the  European  touches  being  less  visi- 
ble from  a  distance.  First,  a  confused  stretch 
of  domes,  minarets,  and  roofs ;  then  a  separate 
mosque  stood  out,  and  we  recognized  Sultan 
Hasan  and  Ibn  Tulun.  Farther  on  were  seen 
the  towers  above  the  Bab  Zuweyler  gate;  then 
the  Tombs  of  the  Khalifs,  blended  together, 
and  still  farther  there  appeared  the  shadowy 
outlines  of  the  old  Mosque  of  Amr.  At  our 
feet  stood  the  citadel,  while  the  Alabaster  Mosque 
and  the  line  of  arches  marking  the  old  aqueduct 
were  clearly  visible.  The  setting  sun  illumined 
the  silver  line  of  the  Nile,  touched  the  distant 
pyramids  resting  on  the  desert,  and  revealed 
the  far-away  step  pyramid  of  Sakkara.  Its 
glory  seemed  all  to  be  gathered  here,  suffusing 
the  whole  panorama,  and  resting  upon  the 
scene    like    a    silent    benediction. 

The  island  of  Rodda  divides  the  Nile,  and 
was  formerly  connected  by  bridges  of  boats  with 
both  the  island  of  Gizeh  and  Fustat,  now  old 
Cairo.  It  was  formerly  a  place  of  commercial 
importance,  and  had  extensive  dockyards;  ac- 
cording to  tradition  it  is  a  place  of  Biblical 
associations,  since  a  palace  occupied  by  Pha- 
raoh's daughter  is  pointed  out,  and  also  the 
place  on  the  river  where  Moses  was  found  in 
the  bulrushes. 

The  old  Nilometer,  for  measuring  the  depths 


COPTIC   CHURCHES  29 

of  the  Nile,  which  was  erected  in  716,  is  of  in- 
terest. It  consists  of  a  square  well,  sixteen  feet 
in  diameter,  having,  in  the  centre,  an  octagonal 
column  on  which  the  ancient  Arabic  measures 
are  inscribed.  It  was  last  remodelled  in  1893. 
We  visited  old  Cairo  and  the  Coptic  churches, 
six  of  which  are  situated  in  the  precincts  of  the 
ancient  castle  of  Babylon.  The  Copts  are  consid- 
ered fine  representatives  of  the  old  Egyptians, 
and  they  have  succeeded  in  preserving  their 
language  and  liturgy  through  twelve  centuries 
of  fierce  oppression.  The  Fatimid  period  alone 
allowed  them  some  measure  of  toleration;  their 
religious  forms  are  similar  to  those  of  the  Greek 
church,  but  their  discipline  is  more  severe, 
their  Lenten  fast  covering  a  period  of  fifty-five 
days,  with  abstinence  from  sunrise  to  sunset. 

The  Church  of  St.  George  will  illustrate  the 
peculiar  arrangement  of  their  religious  edifices. 
Following  the  example  of  the  older  Egyptian 
Byzantine  churches,  the  nave  and  tribune  are 
uncovered  and  the  side  aisles  have  galleries. 
The  nave  has  three  divisions:  first,  a  vestibule; 
second,  a  section  set  apart  for  women ;  and  third, 
another  section  for  men.  There  are  the  usual 
choir,  sanctuary,  and  side  chapels,  and  the 
division  between  the  choir  and  the  sanctuary  is 
ornamented  with  carvings  in  wood  and  ivory. 
The  church  also  contains  Byzantine  carving 
and  mosaics,  and  is  characterized  by  the  usual 


COPTIC   CHURCHES  29 

of  the  Nile,  which  was  erected  in  716,  is  of  in- 
terest. It  consists  of  a  square  well,  sixteen  feet 
in  diameter,  having,  in  the  centre,  an  octagonal 
column  on  which  the  ancient  Arabic  measures 
are  inscribed.  It  was  last  remodelled  in  1893. 
We  visited  old  Cairo  and  the  Coptic  churches, 
six  of  which  are  situated  in  the  precincts  of  the 
ancient  castle  of  Babylon.  The  Copts  are  consid- 
ered fine  representatives  of  the  old  Egyptians, 
and  they  have  succeeded  in  preserving  their 
language  and  liturgy  through  twelve  centuries 
of  fierce  oppression.  The  Fatimid  period  alone 
allowed  them  some  measure  of  toleration;  their 
religious  forms  are  similar  to  those  of  the  Greek 
church,  but  their  discipline  is  more  severe, 
their  Lenten  fast  covering  a  period  of  fifty-five 
days,  with  abstinence  from  sunrise  to  sunset. 

The  Church  of  St.  George  will  illustrate  the 
peculiar  arrangement  of  their  religious  edifices. 
Following  the  example  of  the  older  Egyptian 
Byzantine  churches,  the  nave  and  tribune  are 
uncovered  and  the  side  aisles  have  galleries. 
The  nave  has  three  divisions:  first,  a  vestibule; 
second,  a  section  set  apart  for  women ;  and  third, 
another  section  for  men.  There  are  the  usual 
choir,  sanctuary,  and  side  chapels,  and  the 
division  between  the  choir  and  the  sanctuary  is 
ornamented  with  carvings  in  wood  and  ivory. 
The  church  also  contains  Byzantine  carving 
and  mosaics,  and  is  characterized  by  the  usual 


30      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

richness  in  decoration.  A  flight  of  twelve  steps 
descends  into  the  crypt,  a  small  vaulted  chapel 
with  marble  columns  situated  under  the  choir. 
At  the  end  of  the  nave  is  an  altar,  around  which 
has  sprung  up  the  tradition  that  the  Virgin  and 
Child  there  rested  during  a  month's  stay,  after 
the  flight  to  Egypt.  The  Church  of  St.  Sergius 
is  similar  in  construction,  as  are  others  of  the 
group,  besides  hundreds  more  scattered  through 
Egypt.  The  dust  of  ages  clung  to  our  skirts  as 
we  left  the  desolate  scene,  and  there  was  within 
us  the  consciousness  that,  for  old  Cairo,  there 
could  be  no  resurrection. 

One  of  the  places  that  might  consume  days 
in  the  inspection  is  the  Museum  of  Egyptian 
Antiquities,  which  it  is  impossible  to  describe  in 
a  limited  space.  But  to  the  student  of  Egyptol- 
ogy and  to  the  tourist  it  is  alike  important, 
because,  in  its  monuments  of  stone  and  bronze, 
it  presents  visible  proofs  of  a  wonderful  past, 
while  the  sarcophagi,  mummies,  and  other  re- 
mains taken  from  the  tombs,  reveal  the  life  and 
habits  of  the  early  Egyptians. 

With  only  two  mornings  for  an  inspection,  we 
devoted  one  to  a  general  view  of  the  museum,  and 
the  other  to  the  fine  collection  of  our  fellow-trav- 
eller, Mr.  Theodore  Davis,  for  which  a  special 
room  is  reserved.  Mr.  Davis  courteously  ex- 
plained to  us  the  difterent  objects,  or  '* finds"; 
these  included  artistic  articles  of  household  use, 


THE   PYRAMIDS  31 

a  fine  group  of  Canopic  jars,  and  miscellaneous 
pieces  of  unusual  merit  (all  from  the  tombs  of 
the  Kings  at  Thebes) ;  the  whole  exhibit  show- 
ing what  an  enthusiast,  with  time  and  means, 
can  accomplish  in  the  interest  of  a  buried 
past. 

An  excursion  of  great  meaning  is  that  to  the 
pyramids.  Crossing  the  Nile,  we  followed  its 
course  to  the  former  palace  of  Gizeh ;  then  the 
way  led  inland,  along  what  was  formerly  a  fine 
carriage  drive,  but  now  one  usually  takes  the 
tram  to  save  time.  Our  arrival  was  exciting, 
owing  to  the  number  of  persistent  Bedouins 
w^ho  met  us  with  donkeys  and  camels.  A  white 
donkey,  named  Snowflake,  and  an  attendant, 
named  Yankee  Doodle,  fell  to  me,  while  a  camel, 
named  Mary  Anderson,  was  allotted  to  a  friend. 
An  inquiry  as  to  why  American  names  prevailed, 
revealed  the  fact  that  the  names  of  the  animals 
are  adjustable,  according  to  the  nationality  of 
the  party  to  be  supplied. 

The  appearance  of  the  pyramids  is  familiar 
the  world  over,  but  an  actual  view  of  these  mon- 
uments of  hoary  age  ever  inspires  awe  and 
reverence.  As  we  ascended  the  plateau  (twelve 
hundred  by  sixteen  hundred  yards),  and  rode 
within  the  shadow  of  the  pyramids,  our  feeling 
was  deepened  by  the  view  of  the  barren  waste 
stretched  before  us,  —  yellowish  sand  and  piles 
of  debris  accentuating  the  solitude  of  the  place, 


32      TRAVELS   IN  THE   FAR  EAST 

while  the  inscrutable  Sphinx  and  other  monu- 
ments added  their  silent  testimony. 

A  more  extended  view  revealed  *'the  river  of 
rivers,"  on  each  bank  of  which  appeared  a 
green  line  of  foliage;  beyond  this  could  be 
dimly  seen  cultivated  fields  with  intersecting 
canals,  while  tiny  villages  lent  the  human  touch, 
and  far  away,  Cairo,  with  her  gleaming  domes 
and  minarets,  became  an  appropriate  back- 
ground for  the  scene. 

All  the  members  of  our  party  having  previ- 
ously visited  the  spot,  we  were  spared  the  ex- 
citement of  climbing  the  walls  and  entering  the 
chambers,  greatly  to  the  disappointment  of  our 
guides,  to  whom  the  prospect  of  extra  bakshish 
is  always  alluring.  Our  tour  of  observation  con- 
sumed so  much  time  that  the  usual  programme 
of  five  o'clock  tea  at  the  Hotel  Mene  was  aban- 
doned. On  our  arrival  in  the  city,  the  mantle 
of  night  had  fallen,  —  a  peaceful  close  to  a 
never-to-be-forgotten  day. 

Another  afternoon's  excursion  was  made  by 
carriage  to  the  old  villages  of  Matariya  and 
Heliopolis.  Near  the  former  place  is  an  ancient 
gnarled  sycamore,  under  which,  so  tradition 
says,  the  Holy  Family  rested  in  their  flight  to 
Egypt.  The  present  tree  was  planted  in  1672, 
but  the  crediulous  still  beleve  it  to  be  a  direct  de- 
scendant of  the  original  one.  A  fine  spring 
which  flows  in  the  vicinity  is  also  supposed  to 


I 

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IH 

f  ^ 

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^.  •' 

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^^yyd^ 

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||MHEB 

'TT;^  obelisk  marking  the  site  of  Heiiopolis 


HELIOPOLIS  33 

have  lost  its  natural  brackish  taste  on  account 
of  the  infant  Jesus  having  been  bathed  in  it. 
A  half-mile  farther  on  is  Heliopolis,  the  old  City 
of  the  Sun.  It  is  now  marked  by  the  solitary 
obelisk,  which  alone  remains  to  remind  us  of  a 
past  that  stretches  untold  centuries  back  of  the 
Muslim  conquest  of  Egypt  in  640;  and  of  a 
city  that  was  the  exponent  of  the  most  ancient 
civilization  of  the  world. 

The  obelisk  is  the  oldest  Egyptian  one  known ; 
it  is  of  red  granite,  sixty-six  feet  in  height,  al- 
though it  seems  lower  on  account  of  the  mass  of 
debris  at  the  base,  and  is  inscribed  with  hiero- 
glyphics. There  remain  a  few  granite  blocks 
of  the  temple,  designated  the  House  of  Ra, 
whose  priests  were  so  learned  as  to  have  at- 
tracted Plato  when  a  student,  to  have  drawn 
Herodotus  into  discussion,  and  to  have  laid 
the  foundation  of  Moses'  wisdom. 

Heliopolis  has  been  the  scene  of  many  stirring 
events,  the  victory  of  the  Turks  over  the  Mame- 
lukes occurring  there  in  1517,  while  in  1800 
General  Kleber  successfully  led  the  French 
forces  against  the  Turks.  The  memory  of  the 
active  past  serves  to  emphasize  the  present 
solitude  of  the  place. 

A  favorite  resort  of  the  Cairo  folk  is  the  island 
of  Gezireh;  here  a  long  avenue  of  lebbek  trees 
furnishes  a  fashionable  promenade,  while  games 
of  golf,  tennis,  cricket,  and  polo,  together  with 


34      TRAVELS  IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

the  races,  are  a  constant  source  of  attraction. 
The  once  famous  palace  of  Gezireh  (the  scene 
of  great  festivities  at  the  opening  of  the  Suez 
Canal  in  1869)  is  now  turned  into  a  popular 
hotel ;  its  grounds  slope  down  to  the  Nile,  where 
dahabiyehs  are  sometimes  anchored;  an  in- 
spection of  one  of  these,  the  Bedouin,  excited 
our  admiration. 

The  time  of  our  stay  was  drawing  to  a  close, 
and  Cairo  was  again  to  become  **  memory  "  with 
a  past  stretching  back  into  centuries  without 
number.  Egypt  has  a  human  history  that  is 
almost  appalling  to  the  thoughtful  mind ;  this 
limitless  stretch  of  time  may,  in  part,  explain 
the  peculiar,  indefinable  charm  that  Cairo  has 
upon  the  imagination  of  the  beholder,  thus  win- 
ning for  herself  the  appropriate  name  of  the 
*' Mysterious  City  of  the  Nile." 

-♦- 

Port  Said,  November  26th:  The  return  to 
Port  Said  in  the  afternoon  was  followed  by  our 
departure  on  another  P.  &  O.  steamer,  the 
Arabia,  for  Bombay,  India. 

One  enters  the  Suez  Canal  with  peculiar  sen- 
sations, as  it  is  a  waterway  of  vast  importance, 
connecting  the  Mediterranean  and  Red  Seas, 
and  so  narrow  that  the  shores  on  both  sides  are 
distinctly  visible.  It  extends  from  Port  Said  to 
Suez,  and  is  nearly  one  hundred  miles  in  length; 
it  is  artificial,  with  the  exception  of  a  channel 


THE   GREAT   BITTER  LAKE        35 

through  Bitter  Lakes  and  Lake  Tinsuh.  All 
along  the  way,  we  were  virtually  traversing  the 
desert,  Isma'iliya  presenting  a  small  oasis,  fifty 
miles  from  Port  Said.  From  the  deck  we 
watched  the  monotonous  scene,  hour  after  hour, 
the  landscape  being  old  and  colorless,  with  great 
billows  of  sand  in  the  foreground,  and  here  and 
there  occasional  hillocks.  Once  we  saw  moun- 
tains of  sand,  called  the  Gebel  Abu  Batah  range. 
Sometimes  a  few  native  huts  would  appear  (the 
mere  semblance  of  a  village),  then  a  stray  camel 
or  two,  or  a  group  of  natives  with  their  pigskins, 
intent  on  securing  water.  The  Great  Bitter 
Lake  is  a  fine  body  of  water,  and  it  afforded  us 
a  temporary  relief  from  the  monotony  of  the 
Canal.  There  was  a  short  stay  at  Suez,  which 
has  all  the  stir  of  a  noisy  modern  port.  We  were 
now  for  a  time  in  the  Gulf  of  Suez,  but  saw 
nothing  except  a  yellow  beach  and  low  outlying 
mountains ;  we  longed  for  even  a  patch  of  grass, 
but,  alas  !  this  was  the  season  of  drought,  and 
vegetation  was  slumbering. 

But  if  Nature  was  dull  and  lifeless,  there  was 
no  lack  of  jollity  on  board  the  steamer,  for  the 
passengers  were  mostly  English,  and  there  were 
constant  games  or  other  devices  for  *' killing 
time,"  in  which  tlie  English  as  a  nation  are  so 
proficient. 

We  sailed  out  of  the  Gulf  of  Suez  into  the  Red 
Sea,  which  afforded  some  variety  of  scene,  as 


36      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

there  were  occasional  islands,  that  of  Perim 
being  the  most  important  and  a  possession  of 
Great  Britain.  It  stands  prominently  out  of  the 
sea  in  its  length  of  two  miles,  and  seems  almost 
destitute  of  vegetation,  although  there  was  a 
little  settlement  close  to  the  shore. 

Thus  far,  contrary  to  all  expectation,  we  had 
had  comfortable  weather ;  but  Aden,  a  few  hours 
later,  gave  us  a  heated  welcome.  This  small 
city  of  Arabia  is  picturesquely  situated  on  the 
Arabian  Sea,  high  up  on  rocky  cliffs;  we  had 
anticipated  a  hurried  survey  of  the  city,  but  the 
heat  was  so  excessive  that  only  a  few  gentlemen 
ventured  ashore;  however,  we  had  a  little 
diversion  on  the  steamer  in  the  interval,  as 
numerous  natives  appeared  with  amber  beads, 
ostrich  feathers  (which  are  a  noted  commodity 
of  the  place)  and  fans ;  this  provoked  the  usual 
contest  in  bargains. 

The  evening  brought  us  compensation  for  a 
day  of  heat,  with  its  consequent  languor,  in  the 
shape  of  a  gorgeous  sunset;  a  huge  ball  of  fire 
hung  in  the  west  and  radiated  great  streaks  of 
red,  yellow,  and  blue,  these  fading  away  into  the 
softer  tints,  and  then  came  the  most  wonderful 
afterglow,  the  heavens  being  suffused,  and  the 
whole  scene  making  one  breathless,  as  if  under 
a  spell. 

The  Arabian  Sea  gave  us  an  aftermath  of 
heat,  but,  remembering  with  considerable  satis- 


THE   TAJ   MAHAL  HOTEL  37 

faction  that  the  days  of  our  transit  were  nearly 
over,  we  assumed  an  indifferent  air. 

Bombay,  December  6th:  On  nearing  India, 
with  its  far-away  past,  I  was  convinced  that  I 
would  be  first  impressed  with  its  Oriental  aspect, 
but,  on  the  contrary,  the  approach  to  Bombay 
presented  a  decidedly  modern  phase.  There  is  a 
fine,  almost  semi-circular  harbor,  with  a  modern 
quay,  and  tall  buildings  encircling  the  shore,  the 
tasteful  Royal  Bombay  Yacht  Club  in  the  front, 
the  spacious  new  Taj  Mahal  Hotel  to  the  left, 
having  about  a  block  of  frontage  on  the  bay, 
while  farther  back  were  other  tall  buildings. 
Dusky  faces  greeted  us  at  the  landing,  and  a 
Babel  of  voices  in  an  unknown  tongue,  or  rather 
tongues,  since  many  tribes  were  represented, 
each  with  their  separate  dialect. 

Arriving  at  the  Taj  Mahal,  we  felt  a  sense  of 
strangeness,  as  the  arrangement  of  rooms  and 
the  service  were  distinctly  foreign.  There  were 
almost  too  many  attendants  or  servants  (two 
for  each  room,  an  upper  and  a  lower  one), 
and  the  waiters  in  the  dining-room  were  more 
interesting  to  me  than  the  menu,  —  the 
Portuguese  wearing  white  uniforms  with  short 
jackets,  pink  vests,  and  black  ties;  the  Mo- 
hammedans attired  in  long  white  tunics,  with 
wide  belts  at  the  waist,  loose  trousers,  and 
barefooted. 


38      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

It  was  reserved  for  an  afternoon  drive 
through  the  crowded  native  quarter,  however, 
to  give  us  a  striking  impression  of  the  India  of 
the  past.  Every  nook  and  corner  of  the  narrow 
streets  seemed  a  blaze  of  color  —  women  in 
their  full  skirts  of  many  shades  of  red  (that  color 
predominating),  with  diverse  novel  waist  arrange- 
ments and  a  profusion  of  jewelry,  bracelets, 
necklaces,  earrings,  and  anklets.  Men  were  in 
their  many-hued  turbans  of  various  styles,  with 
no  clothing  to  the  waist  and  a  limited  supply 
below.  Then  there  were  boys  and  small  children, 
—  the  former  with  only  a  loin  cloth,  the  latter  as 
Nature  made  them,  with  silver  chains  bearing 
quite  large  hearts  suspended  around  their  waists, 
and  with  smaller  chains  around  their  necks, 
each  supposed  to  ward  off  sudden  calamity  or 
disease. 

But,  if  there  was  color  in  the  dress,  there  was 
emaciation  in  the  figure,  —  thin  features,  thin 
limbs,  and  flat  chests  being  the  prevailing  type, 
a  fair  indication  that  their  scanty  supply  of 
food  does  not  furnish  them  sufficient  nutrition. 
Northern  India  is  the  so-termed  "famine  dis- 
trict," and  the  famine  of  one  year  is  said  to  have 
destroyed  over  four  millions  of  people ;  pestilence 
is  always  threatening  these  natives,  and  besides, 
the  demands  for  tribute  of  an  enervated  priest- 
hood (who  **toil  not,"  alas!  ** neither  do  they 
spin  ")  have  to  be  met.      So  is  it  any  wonder 


SIGHT-SEEING   IN   BOMBAY       39 

that  poverty  prevails  and  that  sadness  of  coun- 
tenance is  everywhere  seen  ? 

The  bazars  are  similar  in  arrangement  to 
those  in  Cairo;  but  more  novel  wares  are  dis- 
played, and  less  bargaining  is  resorted  to.  The 
European  shops  were  satisfactory,  and  we  in- 
vested at  once  in  white  felt  topee  hats  lined  with 
green,  and  also  in  ecru  parasols  similarly  lined, 
for  dire  tales  had  been  told  us  of  the  penalty  we 
should  suffer  if  we  were  not  thus  equipped,  on 
account  of  the  great  power  of  the  sun  in  midday ; 
often  the  heat  was  known  to  bring  on  insanity 
(on  the  authority  of  a  long-time  resident  of  India) . 
The  wearing  of  that  topee  hat  was  a  great  per- 
sonal sacrifice,  as  it  was  horribly  unbecoming, 
and  after  some  weeks  of  trial  one  of  our  party 
was  brave  enough  to  advise  a  second  venture; 
a  Calcutta  style  was  tried,  with  no  better  re- 
sults, so  you  can  imagine  the  joy  of  the  final 
*' giving  up  "  ! 

If  the  native  quarters  revealed  to  us  an  un- 
known life,  so  did  a  country  drive,  for  there 
were  trees  and  shrubs  never  before  seen,  and 
queer  little  thatched  houses  of  the  bungalow 
type.  Groups  of  cocoanut  and  other  palms 
were  all  lacking  in  freshness,  as  this  was  the 
dry  season,  and  dust  must  prevail  until  the 
arrival  of  the  "monsoon,"  or  rainy  season,  in 
May.  The  domestic  animals  seemed  to  thrive, 
such   as   camels,   donkeys,   bullocks,   and   there 


40     TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

were  many  birds,  the  little  mina  and  the  green 
paroquets  being  of  special  interest,  while  im- 
mense black  crows  hovered  about  everywhere. 

The  European  aspect  of  Bombay  is  imposing, 
and  the  public  and  municipal  buildings  are 
hardly  to  be  surpassed,  the  railway  station 
claiming  the  distinction,  architecturally,  of  being 
the  finest  in  the  world.  The  dominant  type  of 
public  building  is  designed  in  what  is  called 
Gothic  Indian  style. 

The  drive  along  Queen's  Road  is  a  dream  of 
beauty.  The  private  residences,  each  with  fine 
grounds,  are  many  and  tasteful,  those  along 
Queen's  Road  being  usually  occupied  by  the 
military  class  or  by  officials  in  the  civil  service. 
Malabar  Hill  is  also  a  residential  centre,  and  a 
drive  there  affords  one  an  extended  view  of  the 
city.  There  also  one  may  have  a  glimpse  of  the 
Arabian  Sea,  but  a  much  better  view  is  to  be  had 
from  the  grounds  of  the  Towers  of  Silence,  that 
strange  exemplification  of  the  faith  of  a  peculiar 
people. 

We  had  met  a  Parsee  gentleman  of  culture  and 
refinement  on  the  steamer,  en  route  for  Bombay, 
which  fact  made  us  eager  to  learn  something  of 
this  sect.  They  came  to  India  from  Persia, 
twelve  hundred  years  ago,  driven  away  on  ac- 
count of  Mohammedan  persecution.  They  are 
strict  followers  of  the  tenets  of  Zoroaster,  their 
creed,  briefly  epitomized,  being  '*Good  thoughts. 


THE   TOWERS   OF   SILENCE        41 

good  words,  and  good  deeds."  There  are  about 
one  hundred  thousand  in  Bombay;  as  a  class 
they  are  well  educated,  and  have  great  business 
capacity ;  hence  they  are  prominent  in  commer- 
cial affairs,  particularly  in  banking.  They  are 
generous  and  charitable,  and  are  at  the  head  of 
most  of  the  philanthropic  institutions  of  the  city ; 
many  distinctions  have  been  won  by  them  from 
the  English  Government. 

Their  strange  treatment  of  the  dead  shows 
what  a  strong  hold  custom  and  faith  can  have 
over  a  people ;  believing  that  fire  is  a  symbol  of 
Deity,  and  also  revering  the  earth,  neither  crema- 
tion nor  burial  of  the  dead  is  permitted.  The 
Towers  of  Silence,  five  of  them  occupying  the 
most  beautiful  site  on  Malabar  Hill,  and  sur- 
rounded by  spacious  grounds  with  trees,  shrub- 
bery, and  flowers,  hold  the  Parsee  dead. 

These  towers  are  of  whitewashed  stone,  two 
hundred  and  seventy-five  feet  in  circumference, 
and  twenty-five  feet  in  height;  the  upper  floors 
are  of  iron  grating,  with  three  circles,  whereon  the 
corpses  are  placed ;  the  inner  circle  is  for  chil- 
dren, the  next  for  women,  and  the  outer  one  for 
men.  Thus  placed,  the  vultures,  which  have 
been  hovering  about  awaiting  their  prey,  com- 
plete the  work,  and  soon  only  the  skeletons 
remain;  these  are  thrown  into  a  circular  well  in 
the  centre  of  the  enclosure,  where  they  quickly 
turn  to  dust.  This  well  has  perforated  holes  in  the 


4^^      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

bottom,  so  that  the  action  of  the  rain  can  carry 
away  the  dust  to  still  another  receptacle,  which 
in  time  reaches  the  sea.  Previous  to  the  cere- 
mony, one  hundred  or  more  mourners,  robed  in 
white,  may  be  seen  walking  up  the  hill,  preceded 
by  four  men,  carrying  the  bier  on  their  shoulders. 
They  pass  into  the  house  of  prayer  for  a  time, 
and  then  proceed  to  the  Towers,  where  they  are 
met  by  the  only  two  men  (of  the  outcast  class) 
who  are  ever  permitted  to  enter,  to  whom  the 
body  is  consigned  for  the  final  rite. 

And  yet,  in  spite  of  all  this  gruesomeness,  the 
Parsees  are  a  happy,  social  people,  and  their 
entertainments,  particularly  their  weddings,  are 
described  as  presenting  a  brilliant  array  of  be- 
jewelled women,  tastefully  dressed  in  the  soft 
tinted  silks  they  so  much  affect,  with  the  long 
graceful  veils  falling  to  the  feet.  This  is  the 
only  head  covering  worn  in  a  carriage  or  on 
the  street.  The  men,  however,  usually  wear  the 
conventional  European  dress,  but  on  ceremonial 
occasions  a  white  costume  is  required,  with  a 
small  black  hat. 

Another  sombre  feature  of  Indian  life  is  the 
prevalence  of  caste,  which  no  foreigner  can 
expect  to  understand,  so  complex  is  the  system. 
There  are  four  general  classes :  the  Brahman,  or 
princely  caste  (this  has  four  subdivisions) ;  the 
military  caste;  the  commercial  caste;  and  the 
laboring     caste,     commonly     called     ''coolies." 


■V, 

'a 


SLAVES   OF   CUSTOM  43 

These  in  their  turn  admit  of  many  subdivisions, 
and  when  we  reahze  that  caste  is  hereditary  and 
that  whatever  a  man's  ambition  he  can  never 
rise  above  his  station,  even  though  he  seek  to 
secure  promotion,  we  may  understand  what  a 
yoke  it  imposes  on  the  people. 

Another  bar  is  custom,  which  is  quite  as  iron- 
clad as  is  caste;  whenever  any  improvement  is 
suggested,  either  in  dress  or  in  living,  the  sug- 
gestion is  usually  met  with  the  reply  that  it  is 
prevented  by  custom.  This  applies  particularly 
to  the  agricultural  class,  among  whom  the  crude 
ploughs  and  other  out-of-date  implements  cannot 
be  replaced  by  modern  ones,  as  it  has  been  the 
custom  to  use  the  former.  Even  the  carrying  of 
heavy  burdens  on  the  head  cannot  be  given  up; 
woe  to  any  one  who  suggests  substituting  the 
carrying  of  a  basket !  A  laughable  incident  is 
told  of  a  European  gentleman  who  employed  a 
number  of  men  to  carry  sand ;  thinking  to 
lighten  their  labor,  he  purchased  wheelbarrows, 
but  on  visiting  the  scene  of  action  a  week  later, 
he  found  the  men  with  the  barrows  on  their 
heads  !  No  doubt,  the  reply  to  his  protest  was, 
"It  is  custom." 

Another  deplorable  condition  in  India  is 
found  among  women,  particularly  of  the  lower 
classes,  as  they  are  considered  of  a  more  in- 
ferior order  than  the  men  of  the  family  and  are 
treated  with  little  respect,  being  virtually  slaves. 


44      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

The  higher  class  lead  secluded  lives,  but  do  not 
escape  the  inflexible  law  that  demands  the  mar- 
riage of  a  girl  by  the  age  of  fourteen,  or  the  os- 
tracism thrust  upon  the  child  widow,  who,  on 
returning  to  a  home  of  which  she  was  once  an 
honored  member,  finds  herself  virtually  an  out- 
cast. Her  pretty  clothes  are  taken  from  her,  and 
she  is  required  to  do  the  menial  work  of  the 
family;  this  is  the  Indian  protest  against  the 
abolishing  of  the  suttee,  or  the  burning  of  widows 
on  the  funeral  pyre  of  their  husbands,  —  cruel- 
ties prevented  by  English  rule,  as  are  also  the 
practice  of  child  suicide  and  the  passing  of  the 
Juggernaut  car  over  the  prostrate  bodies  of 
living  victims. 

These  phases  are  not  pleasant  to  contemplate, 
but  are  none  the  less  necessary  to  know,  if  one 
is  to  form  even  a  superficial  idea  of  ''conditions." 
It  is  gratifying  to  learn  that  still  more  reforms 
are  advocated,  and  that  there  are  to  be  more 
schools  established,  similar  to  the  one  originated 
by  Ramabai,  not  far  from  Bombay,  as  a  ref- 
uge for  child  widows.  She  received  financial 
aid  when  in  the  United  States  a  few  years  since. 
Mrs.  Annie  Besant  has  also  established,  at 
Benares,  a  school  under  Theosophical  auspices, 
called  Central  Hindu  College;  this  has  for  its 
object  the  combination  of  religious,  moral, 
mental,  and  athletic  instruction  for  Hindu 
youths. 


THE   CAVES   OF  ELEPHANTA      45 

The  European  residents  of  Bombay  lead 
their  own  Uves,  and  the  social  usages  are  quite 
the  same  as  in  England;  the  usual  ''sports" 
abound  there,  such  as  golf,  tennis,  and  cricket, 
polo,  and  the  races,  while  yachting  has  great 
prestige  under  the  auspices  of  the  aristocratic 
yacht  club  on  x\pollo  Bunder. 

The  Victoria  and  Albert  Museum  has  a  fine 
building,  but  an  unimportant  collection;  it 
stands  in  Victoria  Gardens  (a  park  of  thirty- 
four  acres,  well  laid  out),  and  near  the  south 
entrance  are  the  remains  of  the  stone  elephant 
which  gave  the  island  of  Elephanta  its  name; 
the  gardens  are  a  popular  resort.  In  another 
portion  of  the  city  is  the  best  statue  of  Queen 
Victoria  to  be  found  in  India. 

An  unusually  fine  market  building  is  sur- 
mounted by  a  handsome  clock-tower.  There 
are  large,  well-equipped  hospitals  and  a  college, 
in  addition  to  the  number  of  buildings  for  pub- 
lic uses.  One  frequently  sees  gayly  painted 
mosques  and  temples.  Among  the  many  ruins, 
those  of  Siva,  called  the  Caves  of  Elephanta,  are 
of  most  interest. 

A  steam  launch  was  taken  at  the  Apollo 
Bunder,  and,  after  an  hour  and  a  half  on  the 
bay,  we  arrived  at  the  island ;  the  landing  was 
not  agreeable,  and  we  were  met  with  a  chorus 
of  voices  from  boys  and  men,  crying  **Memsa- 
hib"  this  and  "Memsahib"   that;    some  were 


46      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

beggars,  others  were  intent  on  renting  their 
''chairs"  for  the  ascent  of  the  hill. 

The  caves  are  excavations  in  the  solid  rock 
from  fifteen  to  seventeen  feet  in  height;  origi- 
nally there  had  been  a  plan,  showing  the  ar- 
rangement of  columns  and  colonnades,  but  the 
depredations  of  the  followers  of  Mohammed  in 
the  past  are  everywhere  to  be  seen.  The  en- 
trance to  one  cave,  however,  is  well  preserved, 
as  is  also  a  group,  almost  life  size,  of  Siva, 
Vishnu,  and  Brahma,  called  the  Trinity.  The 
caves  are  said  to  be  the  home  of  many  deadly 
snakes,  but  none  appeared,  and  a  deathlike 
stillness  prevailed;  once  in  the  sunshine  again, 
we  met  a  snake  charmer  with  a  lively  collection 
of  what  seemed  to  be  cobras,  but  we  declined  to 
gaze  upon  them. 

Further  visits  to  the  streets  and  bazars  re- 
vealed new^  scenes,  and  such  a  variety  of  nation- 
alities !  As  Sir  Edwin  Arnold  has  written : 
*'Here  are  specimens  of  every  race  and  nation 
of  the  East,  Arabs  from  Muscat,  Persians  from 
the  Gulf,  Afghans  from  the  northern  frontier, 
black  shaggy  negroes  from  Zanzibar,  islanders 
from  the  Maldives  and  Laccadives ;  Malays 
and  Chinese  throng  and  jostle  with  Parsees  in 
their  sloping  hats,  with  Jews,  Lascars,  Rajputs, 
Fakirs,  European  Sepoys,  and  Sahibs." 

My  vivid  impression  of  Bombay  is  a  memory 
of   the    June-like    temperature    (in    December), 


PREPARING  TO   TOUR  INDIA     47 

the  lovely  drives,  and  the  never-ending  pano- 
rama of  the  water  front  as  seen  from  my  hotel 
windows,  sometimes  dazzlingly  bright  in  the 
sunlight,  and  again  subdued,  as  the  soft  opa- 
lescent tints  of  the  twilight  enveloped  the  land- 
scape in  a  shadowy  haze.  Before  me  lay  ocean 
steamers,  merchantmen,  a  man  of  war,  yachts, 
and  many  smaller  vessels,  with  rowboats  of 
diverse  pattern;  to  the  left  was  the  pier,  while 
the  English  flag  floated  from  the  attractive 
yacht  club.  It  was,  however,  a  typical  Conti- 
nental view,  and  not  an  Oriental  one,  so  sharp 
an  impress  has  England  made  on  a  city  and 
island  which  were  not  acquired  by  conquest  (it 
is  pleasant  to  note),  but  as  the  marriage  portion 
of  Catharine  of  Braganza,  of  Portugal,  when 
she  became  the  bride  of  King  Charles  II  of 
England.  This  transference  was  a  fortunate 
thing  for  Bombay,  all  foreign  residents  and 
tourists  agree,  but  native  appreciation,  if  there 
is  any,  seems  to  slumber,  as  is  the  usual  rule 
where  colonization  exists. 

The  equipment  of  a  party  leaving  for  a  tour 
through  India  is  important,  for  a  poor  guide  or 
an  indifferent  travelling  servant  (also  called 
bearer)  would  mar  the  pleasure.  Bedding  and 
towels  for  each  member  of  the  party  must  be 
looked  after  (mostly  for  night  travel,  as  the 
hotels  now  usually  prepare  the  beds),  the  guides 
must  also  be  supplied,  and  one  must  be  careful 


48      TRAVELS   IN  THE   FAR  EAST 

to  have  appropriate  clothing  for  the  journey. 
Your  traveUing  servant  is,  according  to  cus- 
tom, not  expected  to  do  any  menial  service  (so 
considered),  such  as  strapping  your  trunks,  or 
removing  your  hand  luggage  from  your  room. 
This  work  is  performed  by  so-called  coolies ;  of 
course,  a  travelling  servant  may  be  so  obliging 
as  to  offer  to  carry  your  handbag  (as  was  often 
done  by  ours),  but  you  must  be  duly  appre- 
ciative of  this  show  of  favor. 

-♦- 

Jeypore,  December  10th:  On  the  morning 
of  our  departure  from  Bombay,  we  each  found 
a  fat,  brown,  English  *' hold-all,"  enclosing 
bedding,  which  was  added  to  our  luggage,  the 
aggregate  requiring  much  additional  space  in 
our  compartments.  Our  route  to  Jeypore  lay 
through  Ahmedabad,  once  a  place  of  much  im- 
portance, and  still  of  interest  on  account  of  its 
artistic  mosques.  But  the  lack  of  hotel  accom- 
modations for  a  party  deterred  us  from  stopping 
over,  and  also  prevented  our  visiting  the  cele- 
brated Jain  temples  at  Mount  Abu,  a  ride  of 
several  miles  to  the  mountains  in  a  jinrikisha. 
I  would,  however,  advise  all  tourists  to  take  this 
trip,  even  at  some  personal  discomfort,  as  the 
temples  are  said  to  be  marvellously  beautiful. 

The  arrival  at  Jeypore  was  in  the  chill  of  late 
evening;  as  we  approached  the  Hotel  Kaiser-i- 
Hind    (the  best  the  place  aifords),   a  blaze   of 


ft 


^ 


UNCOMFORTABLE   QUARTERS     49 

light  showed  us  a  large  open  veranda,  furnished 
with  chairs,  sofas,  and  tables,  and  evidently 
the  salon  of  the  hotel.  My  room  opened  from 
the  end  of  the  balcony,  and  it  was  large  and 
cheerless,  so  all  hope  of  warmth  vanished;  a 
small,  dark  bathroom  was  at  one  side  (with  no 
light  except  when  a  door  was  opened),  furnished 
with  the  regulation  high  round  bathtub  and  a 
shaky  washstand;  neither  of  the  outer  doors 
would  lock !  The  floors  on  opposite  sides  of 
both  rooms  contained  ominous-looking  square 
openings,  suggesting  the  possibilities  of  cer- 
tain reptiles  which  we  had  been  told  existed, 
but  which  we  had  not  yet  seen.  After  viewing 
all  these  *' tranquillizing"  influences,  we  retired, 
having  first  undone  the  distasteful  ** hold-all" 
for  extra  bedding. 

The  next  morning  dawned  without  the  door 
having  been  opened  and  without  the  appearance 
of  the  dreaded  lizards.  The  veranda  salon  pre- 
sented an  animated  appearance;  several  men 
in  turbans  and  wearing  camel's-hair  shawls 
(draped  around  the  shoulders)  were  sitting  on 
the  floor,  displaying  their  many  commodities, 
which  included  embroideries,  shawls,  garnet 
beads  (a  specialty  ,of  Jeypore),  necklaces  of 
various  kinds,  together  with  swords,  daggers, 
and  the  like,  all  warranted  to  be  antique. 
'*Memsahib"  was  heard  in  every  direction,  for 
the  arrival  of  a  party  of  supposedly  rich  Ameri- 


50      TRAVELS   IN  THE   FAR  EAST 

cans  had  been  duly  heralded.  Resisting  their 
importunities  for  the  time  being,  we  entered  an 
inner  room  and  found  comfort  and  a  fairly 
good  breakfast  waiting  us.  Such  persistency 
and  eloquence,  nevertheless,  as  were  later  dis- 
played by  those  dealers  in  describing  their  wares 
are  seldom  heard  !  Fortunate  for  us  that  some  of 
the  articles  were  attractive  enough  to  be  pur- 
chased, stilling  the  clamor  for  a  time !  But  as 
we  had  been  told  that  this  would  be  the  usual 
programme  on  our  arrival  at  any  place  in  the 
Orient,  the  future  prospect  was  not  alluring. 

While  over  a  quarter  of  India's  population 
as  well  as  a  third  of  its  area  is  under  native  rule, 
the  "beaten  track"  is  subject  to  English  regime. 
Hence  the  visit  to  Jeypore,  the  capital  of  the 
independent  province  of  Rajputana,  is  always 
regarded  as  a  new  experience.  We  found  indeed 
a  unique  city,  situated  on  a  plain,  hemmed  in  by 
lofty  hills,  with  streets  and  buildings  the  color 
of  old  rose  pink,  and  with  broad,  regularly  laid 
out  thoroughfares,  two  long  straight  streets  in- 
tersecting each  other  at  right  angles  near  the 
palace,  thus  forming  four  corners.  Here  is  a 
fountain,  and  the  point  is  a  centre  of  life  and 
action;  crowds  of  people  surge  back  and  forth, 
almost  trodden  underfoot  by  the  ever-present, 
ponderous  elephants,  camels,  and  bullocks,  draw- 
ing the  little  ekkas,  —  every  one  disputing  the 
right   of  way.     Proceed   in   any   direction   and 


CO 


STREET  SCENES   IN   JEYPORE     51 

more  unusual  street  scenes  present  themselves 
along  a  single  block  than  can  elsewhere  be 
found,  and  this  in  a  city  less  than  two  centuries 
old  !  It  is  due,  however,  to  the  barbaric  char- 
acter of  an  environment  where  a  gorgeous 
Maharaja,  tigers,  leopards,  and  elephants  all 
figure  in  the  scene,  where  the  crowds  always  seem 
happy  and  life  is  one  large  *' merry  go  round." 

The  Palace  of  the  Wind  is  a  peculiar  struc- 
ture ;  visitors  are  not  admitted,  and  it  is  usually 
reserved  for  the  guests  of  the  Maharaja  on 
State  occasions,  the  ruler  being  very  hospitable. 
It  is  said  that  a  polite  intimation  on  the  part  of 
a  tourist  that  he  desires  to  visit  the  interior, 
coupled  with  some  slight  credential,  will  cause 
one  or  two  elephants  and  a  body-guard  to  be 
placed  at  his  disposal  for  the  expedition. 

Not  much  of  the  "Palace  of  Occupation"  was 
seen;  a  large  audience  room  was  finely  pro- 
portioned, but  looked  uninviting,  as  the  rugs 
were  rolled  up  and  the  furniture  covered.  The 
stables  adjoining  were,  however,  of  great  in- 
terest, as  three  hundred  horses  were  in  the  col- 
lection, some  of  them  of  rare  value.  Later,  we 
visited  the  elephant  stalls  and  the  leopard  and 
tiger  cages.  In  another  locality  the  observatory, 
covering  a  large  open'  space,  was  filled  with  the 
quaint  old  devices,  now  obsolete,  for  studying 
the  heavens. 

The  long  streets  are  lined  with  bazars  of  the 


52      TRAVELS  IN  THE   FAR  EAST 

usual  plan  but  much  larger;  workers  in  brass 
predominated,  that  being  a  specialty  of  Jeypore. 
There  is  a  flourishing  Art  School  where  old 
forms  of  vases,  lamps,  and  boxes  are  repro- 
duced, the  original  designs  being  loaned  from 
the  Victoria  and  Albert  Memorial  Museum, 
which  occupies  an  artistic  building  in  the  centre 
of  spacious  grounds.  There  one  may  find  a 
rare  collection  of  old  brass,  gold  and  silver 
enamel,  wood  carving,  weaving  and  embroi- 
dery, all  classified  and  arranged  in  historical 
order. 

A  native  school,  or  college,  greatly  interested 
us;  there  were  groups  of  boys  in  a  number  of 
rooms,  all  belonging  to  the  best  Rajput  families. 
There  are  special  rooms  devoted  to  Sanskrit, 
English  (here  the  boys  recited  a  poem  in  uni- 
son), history,  logic,  philosophy,  and  the  natural 
sciences. 

There  were  a  number  of  unpretentious  Hindu 
temples,  and  the  Maharaja  is  said  to  be  (piite 
punctilious  in  his  observance  of  religious  forms. 
He  was  absent  from  the  city,  but  several  brothers 
of  his  were  seen  driving,  clad  in  long  garments 
of  gaudy-colored  striped  calico,  and  wearing 
small  turbans ;  the  dress  of  the  women  was 
also  peculiar,  the  skirt  being  so  full  that  as 
they  walked  they  resembled  balloons ;  they  are 
noted  for  wearing  a  profusion  of  jewelry,  — 
necklaces  by  the  half-dozen,  bracelets  sometimes 


J  Hindu  woman  of  Jeypore 


JEYPORE   PROCESSIONS  53 

nearly  to  the  elbow,  anklets,  heavy  earrings, 
nose-rings,  and  finger-rings  without  number. 

Animals  and  birds  in  large  quantities  added 
motion  and  color  to  the  street  scenes,  together 
with  brightly  caparisoned  elephants,  stately 
camels,  and  white  bullocks  with  their  long 
horns  and  dreamy  eyes,  drawing  the  little  two- 
wheeled  ekka^  which  sometimes  carried  four 
occupants.  Peacocks  flashed  in  and  out  at 
every  turn  (they  are  considered  a  sacred  bird 
and  are  therefore  protected),  while  blue-breasted 
pigeons  came  in  clouds  whenever  there  was  a 
prospect  of  a  feast. 

There  are  processions  of  various  kinds,  the 
highest  function  of  all  being  a  wedding  pro- 
cession, where  the  brilliancy  varies  according  to 
the  amount  of  means  that  can  be  expended  by 
the  prospective  bridegroom.  In  one  afternoon 
we  witnessed  eight  of  these  spectacles ;  the 
first  was  given  by  a  man  of  wealth  who  was 
seated  on  an  elephant,  the  palanquin  of  which 
was  gorgeous  in  its  decoration;  he  himself  was 
richly  dressed,  as  were  the  attendant  friends. 
The  procession  was  preceded  by  a  band  of 
music,  and  in  the  group  were  six  nautch,  or 
dancing  girls;  at  intervals  of  about  two  blocks, 
the  cavalcade  stopped,  matting  was  thrown 
down,  and  the  dancers  came  and  executed  a 
slow-measured  dance,  which  continued  for  about 
five  minutes;    then  the  procession  moved  on  to 


54      TRAVELS  IN  THE  FAR  EAST 

the  next  point,  this  programme  continuing  until 
the  home  of  the  bride  was  reached.  All  of  this 
we  witnessed.  The  other  seven  wedding  proces- 
sions presented  variations;  in  one  the  principal 
actor  was  a  boy  of  about  fourteen  who  looked 
terrified;  two  of  the  processions  consisted  of 
poor  men ;  sometimes  carriages  were  substituted 
for  the  elephants,  and  the  dancing  girls  were 
omitted,  but  there  were  always  music  and 
a  crowd. 

Elephants  figured  prominently  in  our  trip 
to  the  old  city  of  Amber,  five  miles  distant, 
and  the  former  capital  of  Rajputana.  We 
left  our  carriage  some  distance  away  and  were 
conveyed  the  remainder  of  the  journey  by  two 
elephants,  named  Munsie  and  Bunsie,  with 
gayly  painted  faces  and  trunks,  furnished 
through  the  courtesy  of  the  Maharaja.  In  this 
fashion  we  made  our  entrance. 

The  old  city  of  Amber  is  situated  below  the 
palace,  which  is  on  the  side  of  a  mountain, 
with  a  long-stretching  fort  back  of  it ;  the  situa- 
tion, together  with  the  gray  walls  of  the  palace 
and  the  fort,  all  makes  a  striking  picture,  re- 
minding one  of  mediaeval  times ;  the  palace  is 
well  preserved,  many  of  the  rooms  are  artistic, 
and  the  fine  public  audience  chamber  par- 
ticularly impressed  us.  Here  large  gatherings 
are  held  in  connection  with  ceremonial  occa- 
sions   at    Jeypore;    the   Prince    of   Wales    had 


THE    CITY   OF   AMBER  55 

been  entertained  here  two  years  previous,  at 
which  time  the  city  of  Jeypore  was  made  re- 
splendent with  a  fresh  coat  of  the  rose  pink 
preparation. 

Near  the  entrance  to  the  Amber  Palace  was 
an  exquisite  little  Hindu  temple,  dedicated  to 
the  terrible  goddess.  Kali,  who  delights  in 
sacrifice;  this  was  presided  over  by  a  revolting- 
looking  priest,  and  there  were  evident  traces  of 
the  daily  morning  sacrifice  of  a  goat.  Once 
a  year  one  hundred  goats  are  offered  up,  to- 
gether with  other  animals;  formerly  human 
beings  were  sacrificed  to  appease  the  goddess, 
but  this  slaughter  is  now  prohibited  by  law. 
In  a  well-kept  garden  back  of  the  palace  there 
is  a  fine  collection  of  tropical  fruits  and  of  un- 
familiar shrubs.  This  ruined  city  of  Amber 
must  have  presented  a  wonderful  spectacle  two 
centuries  ago,  before  the  pageants  and  old- 
time  customs  were  transferred  to  its  modern 
prototype,  Jeypore. 

Another  afternoon's  experience  in  Jeypore 
seemed  even  more  like  a  scene  from  a  comic 
opera,  —  only  the  curtain  is  never  lowered  in 
this  most  spectacular  city  in  India,  if  not  in 
the  entire  world. 

The  pleasure  of  our  stay  in  Jeypore  was 
greatly  enhanced  by  the  intelligence  of  the 
local  guide,  who  was  of  the  Brahman  class 
and    broadly    educated;     he    had    an    enlarged 


56      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

idea  of  the  benefit  to  be  derived  from  a  sojourn 
in  the  New  World,  but  he  seemed  uncertain 
with  regard  to  securing  a  position  in  New 
York.  One  of  the  gentlemen  suggested  that 
he  might  at  first  seek  employment  as  a  butler, 
but  his  reply  was  that  it  would  be  impossible 
for  him  to  engage  in  any  menial  work  on  ac- 
count of  his  caste;  this  is  a  mild  illustration 
of  the  domination  of  social  lines. 

A  little  wave  of  excitement  was  created  on 
the  morning  of  December  12th  by  a  slight 
earthquake;  we  were  still  further  shaken  up 
by  the  constant  presence  of  the  persistent 
venders  whenever  we  were  at  the  hotel,  who 
even  followed  us  to  the  station  the  hour  of  our 
departure  for  Delhi,  when  articles  were  pur- 
chased by  us  at  half  their  original  price. 

-♦- 

Delhi,  December  ISth:  A  greater  contrast 
can  hardly  be  imagined  than  that  between 
barbaric,  pleasure-loving  Jeypore,  and  Delhi, 
a  city  full  of  old-time  associations,  whose 
triumphs  of  architectural  skill  and  sculptured 
devices  have  won  for  it  the  admiration  of  the 
world. 

The  fort  and  palace,  together  with  the  ad- 
jacent mosque,  called  Jumma  Musjid,  are  the 
chief  centres  of  interest  and  the  points  we  first 
visited.  The  two  places  suffered  greatly  dur- 
ing  the   mutiny   of   1857,   and   the   old   Mogul 


^ 


^ 

■^ 


CJ 


DELHI   HISTORY  57 

capital  has  passed  through  so  many  vicissi- 
tudes that  a  httle  historical  setting  seems 
necessary. 

Of  the  city's  early  history  very  little  is  known 
before  the  Mohammedan  conquest,  in  1193  a.  d. 
There  are,  however,  the  ruins  of  two  Hindu 
forts  of  the  eleventh  century  in  old  Delhi 
(covering  many  miles  south  of  Delhi),  as  well 
as  the  famous  iron  pillar  of  Kutub  Minar, 
to  be  alluded  to  later.  Delhi  was  not  favored 
by  the  greatest  of  Mogul  rulers,  King  Akbar, 
or  by  his  son,  King  Jahangir;  however,  his 
grandson.  Shah  Jahan,  built  the  fort  in  1638, 
and  later  the  palace  and  great  mosque  —  hence 
the  name.  Shah  Jahanabad,  and  in  his  con- 
nection with  the  Taj  Mahal  and  palace  at 
Agra,  he  won  the  title  of  the  ''Great  Builder  "; 
he  also  transferred  the  capital  from  Agra  to 
Delhi. 

A  century  later,  the  city  was  sacked  by  Nadir 
Shah,  of  Persia,  and  a  general  massacre  oc- 
curred. Although  finally  defeated,  he  took 
with  him  many  treasures,  among  them  the 
priceless  Peacock  Throne  and  the  valuable 
Kohinur  diamond;  the  latter  is  now  in  the 
possession  of  King  Edward  of  England. 

Other  changes  followed,  until,  in  1804,  British 
occupation  was  effected;  but  even  then  the  de- 
scendants of  the  Mogul  monarchs  were  allowed 
some  show  of  royalty,   until   after  the   King's 


58      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

treachery  and  deposition  at  the  time  of  the 
mutiny  of  1857.  This  must  be  briefly  alluded 
to,  as  it  is  truly  said,  *' Delhi  is  steeped  in  mutiny 
memories  !" 

Various  causes  have  been  assigned  for  this 
great  mutiny  of  the  Bengal  troops,  but  it  was 
probably  due  in  part  to  a  season  of  unrest, 
some  minor  event  precipitating  the  crisis.  The 
revolt  occurred  on  May  10th,  at  Meerut,  forty 
miles  distant;  at  first  there  were  but  twenty- 
five  hundred  men,  then  other  regiments  joined 
them,  and,  on  their  arrival  in  Delhi,  they  at- 
tacked the  civil  offices,  and  the  inmates  were 
compelled  to  flee  to  the  fort,  where  they  were 
murdered.  i 

The  Fifty-fourth  Regiment  marched  to  the 
relief,  but  most  of  the  officers  were  shot,  and 
the  native  soldiers  refused  to  act,  —  a  prece- 
dent followed  by  the  natives  of  other  regiments; 
thus  the  rebels  were  largely  reinforced,  and 
they  soon  had  complete  possession  of  the  fort, 
which  was  then  well  garrisoned  by  native 
officers  who  were  thoroughly  trained  in  Eng- 
lish tactics.  The  mutiny  was  now  complete, 
and  English  rule  for  the  time  being  ceased; 
disturbances  also  spread  to  Agra,  Cawnpore, 
and  Lucknow,  so  the  army  was  necessarily 
divided;  however,  the  bravery  of  the  British 
forces  at  Delhi  was  such  that  by  May  20th 
the  fort  and  palace  had  been  regained.     The 


The  Pearl  Mosque  at  Delhi 


DELHI   MUTINIES  59 

King  was  captured  before  Humayun's  tomb 
(outside  the  city),  and,  the  King's  sons  surren- 
dering, they  were  shot  in  front  of  the  Delhi 
gate  of  the  fort.  The  victory,  nevertheless, 
was  only  won  through  the  sacrifice  of  many 
lives,  the  loss  of  officers  being  particularly 
heavy;  the  city  also  suffered  greatly  from  the 
siege,  and  the  beauty  of  the  fort  and  palace 
was  much    impaired. 

There  are  two  fine  gates  to  the  fort,  —  the 
Lahore  on  the  west  side,  and  the  Delhi  on  the 
south  side,  —  both  built  by  Shah  Jahan,  be- 
tween 1638  and  1648.  The  fort  is  encircled 
by  a  massive  red  sandstone  wall ;  we  passed 
through  the  grand  archway  of  the  Lahore  gate, 
into  a  vaulted  arcade  which  Mr.  Ferguson 
(the  famous  authority  on  architecture)  con- 
siders the  noblest  entrance  known  to  any  palace. 
The  arcade  ends  in  the  centre  of  the  outer 
main  court,  measuring  five  hundred  and  forty 
by  three  hundred  and  sixty  feet;  the  inner 
court  is  somewhat  larger  and  is  surrounded  by 
cloisters  or  galleries.  On  the  farther  side  of 
this  inner  court  is  the  fine  Hall  of  Public  Au- 
dience, Diwan-i-Am,  one  hundred  by  sixty  feet, 
where  the  proportions  and  the  arrangement 
of  columns  and  arches  are  perfect.  At  one 
end  of  this  hall  is  a  raised  recess  in  which  the 
Emperor  used  to  be  seated  on  the  famous  Pea- 
cock   Throne,    which    Nadir    Shah    carried    to 


60      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

Persia;  before  the  throne,  and  lower,  was  the 
seat  occupied  by  the  prime  minister,  while  above 
it  were  placed  the  inlaid  panels  by  Austin  of 
Bordeaux. 

The  hall  was  restored  under  the  direction  of 
the  late  viceroy,  Lord  Curzon,  and  we  saw 
Florentine  artists  renewing  the  inlaid  work  in 
the  panels.  The  remarkable  throne  was  six 
feet  long  and  four  feet  wide;  it  stood  on  six 
massive  feet,  which,  with  the  body  of  the  chair, 
were  of  solid  gold,  inlaid  with  rubies,  emeralds, 
and  diamonds.  The  throne  took  its  name 
from  having  the  figures  of  two  peacocks  stand- 
ing behind  it,  their  tails  extended,  and  the 
whole  so  inlaid  with  sapphires,  rubies,  pearls, 
emeralds,  and  diamonds  as  to  be  lifelike  in  its 
color.  All  this  was  surmounted  by  a  canopy 
of  gold,  and  supported  by  twelve  pillars,  richly 
emblazoned  with  gems,  while  a  fringe  of  pearls 
ornamented  the  edge  of  the  canopy.  There 
were  still  more  costly  adjuncts,  but  these  de- 
tails must  suffice;  it  is  needless  to  add  that  the 
loss  of  the  throne  was  considered  a  national 
calamity. 

A  gate  on  one  side  of  this  hall  led  to  the  inner 
court  of  the  palace,  and  to  the  Hall  of  Private 
Audience,  or  Diwan-i-Khas,  which  is  among 
the  most  graceful  assembly  rooms  in  the  world. 
It  is  ninety  by  sixty-seven  feet,  and  is  built 
entirely  of  white  marble,   inlaid  with   precious 


^3 


THE   JUMMA  MUSJID  61 

stones ;  at  either  end  of  the  hall  is  the  famous 
Persian  inscription: 

*'If  heaven  can  be  on  the  face  of  the  earth, 
It  is  this,  oh  !  it  is  this,  oh !  it  is  this  ! " 

Not  far  removed  from  here  are  the  royal  apart- 
ments, consisting  of  three  suites  of  rooms,  with 
an  octagonal  tower  projecting  over  the  river 
Jumna.  These  rooms  are  all  finely  decorated. 
Beyond  them  are  the  Rang  Mahal,  or  Painted 
Palace,  —  the  residence  of  the  chief  Sultana,  — 
and  the  royal  baths,  consisting  of  three  large 
rooms  fitted  in  white  marble,  elaborately  in- 
laid. Opposite  to  this  is  the  Moti  Musjid,  or 
Pearl  Mosque. 

There  are  more  buildings  that  could  be  de- 
scribed, but  some  were  injured  at  the  time  of  the 
mutiny,  and  others  have  since  been  removed,  pre- 
sumably in  the  interest  of  modern  requirements. 

We  made  our  exit  through  the  Delhi  gate; 
between  the  inner  and  outer  arches  stand  the 
Chettar  elephants  which  were  replaced  by 
order  of  Lord  Curzon.  The  Jumma  Musjid  is 
raised  on  a  lofty  basement;  it  has  three  gate- 
ways, four  corner  towers,  two  lofty  minarets, 
and  three  domes.  We  ascended  one  of  the 
towers  and  had  an  extended  view^ ;  inside  there 
is  a  spacious  quadrangle,  three  hundred  and 
twenty-five  feet  square,  in  the  centre  of  which 
is  a  fountain  for  ablution;    and  on  three  sides 


62      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

there  are  sandstone  cloisters.  An  immense  con- 
course of  people  assemble  here  for  prayer  every 
Friday;  the  mosque  in  arrangement  is  very 
similar  to  the  congregational  mosques  of  Cairo. 

The  Kalun  Musjid,  usually  called  Black 
Mosque,  dates  from  1386.  It  is  of  peculiar 
construction,  having  two  stories,  and  is  some- 
what Egyptian  in  appearance.  A  Jain  temple 
was  so  hemmed  in  by  streets  that  its  appear- 
ance was  much  impaired,  but  the  interior  was 
beautiful  in  design  and  finish. 

The  street  known  as  Chandni  Chauk  fully 
sustained  its  reputation  as  a  shopping  centre; 
it  is  over  a  mile  in  length  and  is  always  a 
scene  of  sparkle  and  commotion ;  on  it  were 
the  usual  bazars,  but  also  many  larger  stores, 
as  Delhi  is  considered  the  finest  shopping  point 
in  India,  particularly  in  precious  stones,  — 
jewelry  being  the  commodity  most  heralded,  as 
we  learned  to  our  sorrow. 

On  arriving  at  Maiden's  Hotel  (under  Eng- 
lish management,  but  semi-Oriental  in  its  ar- 
rangement), we  complacently  viewed  our  rooms 
on  the  second  floor,  opening  upon  a  gallery 
and  overlooking  a  large  court.  Here  at  last, 
so  we  thought,  was  a  haven  of  refuge  from 
jewelry  intruders,  but,  alas  !  we  were  no  sooner 
located  than  they  appeared,  —  not  the  impe- 
cunious class,  but  dealers  with  shops  and  a 
bank    account,  —  bringing    with    them    a    vast 


DELHI   VENDERS  63 

array  of  really  beautiful  gems,  which  were 
tempting  but  high-priced.  To  say  that,  on  an 
average,  three  of  these  men  knocked  at  our 
door  during  the  morning  bath,  while  as  many 
were  waiting  for  us  at  the  luncheon  hour,  liter- 
ally camping  out  on  the  balcony  during  the 
evening  hours,  is  no  exaggeration.  Then  the 
cards  they  presented,  the  insinuations  they  in- 
dulged in  with  regard  to  the  other  man's  goods 
(who  was  waiting  outside)  !  It  really  was  amus- 
ing, but  it  grew  tiresome,  and  was  demoralizing, 
because  one  was  compelled  to  "bargain"  if 
anything  was  purchased  at  all,  the  first  scale  of 
prices  being  purposely  exorbitant. 

A  day's  visit  to  old  Delhi  was  most  interesting ; 
it  is  a  ride  of  eleven  miles  to  Kutub  Minar, 
through  sand  and  debris,  comprising  a  portion 
of  an  area  of  forty-seven  miles,  covered  with 
the  remains  of  seven,  once  prosperous,  cities. 
Several  of  the  ruins  were  of  interest,  and  they 
had  a  history,  but  I  will  describe  only  the  well- 
preserved  mausoleum  of  Emperor  Humayun, 
which  gains  in  importance  from  having  been 
the  model  of  the  Taj  Mahal  at  Agra.  It  stands 
on  a  lofty  platform  of  red  sandstone,  and  con- 
sists of  a  large  central  octagon,  surmounted  by  a 
dome  with  octagon  towers  at  the  angles;  the 
red  sandstone  exterior  is  artistically  picked  out 
in  relief  with  white  marble.  The  windows  are 
recessed,   and   the   lower   doors   are   filled   with 


64      TRAVELS   IN  THE   FAR  EAST 

beautiful  lattices  of  stone  and  marble.  In  the 
centre  of  each  side  of  the  main  octagon  is  a  porch, 
forty  feet  high,  with  a  pronounced  pointed  arch. 
The  cenotaph  of  the  Emperor  is  of  white  marble, 
without  any  inscription;  his  wife  and  several 
other  persons,  including  two  later  Emperors,  are 
buried  here  also.  As  was  quite  the  custom  of 
the  time,  the  tomb  is  surrounded  by  a  garden  of 
thirteen  acres.  Farther  on,  was  the  Tomb  of  a 
Saint,  a  perfect  gem  !  It  is  built  of  white  marble, 
is  eighteen  feet  square,  and  is  surrounded  by  a 
broad  veranda.  Around  the  covered  grave  there 
is  a  low  marble  rail,  and  over  it  a  beautiful 
canopy,  inlaid  with  mother-of-pearl;  in  the 
walls  are  finely  pierced  screens.  Near  this  tomb 
is  a  handsome  red  sandstone  mosque,  called 
Jumat  Khana,  and  in  the  vicinity  are  a  number 
of  other  important  tombs  of  artistic  design,  two 
having  elaborately  carved  marble  doors,  the 
design  being  like  lacework. 

The  culmination  of  the  morning's  trip  was  at 
the  Kutub  Minar  enclosure;  the  magnificent 
ruined  Mosque  of  Kuwat-ul-Islam  occupies  a 
large  portion  of  the  space,  and  dates  from  the 
latter  part  of  the  twelfth  century.  The  main 
entrance  was  through  an  arched  doorway,  the 
courtyard  was  surrounded  by  cloisters  formed 
of  pillars  purloined  from  Jain  temples  and  piled 
one  upon  another.  Most  of  them  are  richly 
ornamented,  although  many  have  been  defaced. 


THE   TOWER   OF   VICTORY        65 

The  famous  Hindu  Iron  Pillar  stands  in  front 
of  the  ruin;  it  is  one  of  the  most  unique  antiq- 
uities in  India,  and  is  a  solid  shaft  of  wrought 
iron,  twenty-three  feet,  eight  inches  high  and 
sixteen  inches  in  diameter;  it  has  a  deeply  cut 
Sanskrit  inscription,  and  is  so  individual  in  its 
character  as  to  prove  a  distinct,  reminder  of  a 
decayed  past. 

The  most  prominent  feature  of  the  landscape 
is  Kutub  Minar,  rightly  named  the  Tower  of 
Victory.  Some  have  thought  it  of  Hindu  origin, 
but  the  now  accepted  opinion  is  that  it  was  built 
by  the  Moguls,  after  the  conquest.  It  is  two 
hundred  and  thirty-eight  feet  high,  and  has  five 
stories  with  balconies,  each  story  being  decorated 
with  bands  of  inscriptions.  The  first  three 
stories  are  of  red  sandstone  and  are  fluted;  the 
two  upper  stories  are  of  white  marble  and  have 
been  restored.  The  diameter  of  the  first  story 
is  forty-seven  feet,  three  inches ;  that  of  the  up- 
per story,  nine  feet ;  three  hundred  and  seventy- 
nine  steps  lead  to  the  summit,  and  ninety-five 
steps  lead  to  the  first  gallery,  from  both  points 
of  which  we  obtained  a  fine  view  of  ruins  in 
every  direction. 

Tughlakabad  lies  five  miles  east  of  Kutub 
Minar;  the  fort  is  so  high  and  massive  as  to 
be  seen  long  before  the  point  is  reached.  The 
enclosure  covers  nearly  four  miles  and  contains  a 
ruined  mosque  and  palace.     Outside  the  wall  is 


66      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

the  tomb  of  Tujlak  Shah;  it  is  situated  in  an 
artificial  lake,  and  is  connected  with  the  fort 
by  a  causeway,  six  hundred  feet  long  and  sup- 
ported on  twenty-seven  arches. 

Of  this  tomb  Mr.  Ferguson  says:  '*The 
sloping  walls  and  almost  Egyptian  solidity  of 
this  mausoleum,  combined  with  the  bold  and 
massive  towers  of  the  fortifications  that  surround 
it,  form  a  picture  of  a  warrior's  tomb  unrivalled 
anywhere." 

The  day's  experience  included  luncheon  at 
a  *'rest  house"  near  Kutub  Minar;  this  term 
applies  to  a  simple  semi-hotel,  provided  by  the 
Government  for  the  convenience  of  members  of 
the  military  and  civil  service  and  their  families; 
it  is  situated  in  places  where  there  are  no  hotel 
facilities,  and,  when  unoccupied,  the  public  may 
share  in  the  convenience. 

The  long,  intensely  dusty  ride  to  Delhi, ^  past 
ruin  after  ruin,  gave  us  leisure  to  reflect  on  the 
ravages  of  time  and  the  mutability  of  all  earthly 
things. 

Another  afternoon  drive  about  Delhi  revealed 
new  points  of  interest,  including  some  which  are 
associated  with  the  mutiny,  such  as  the  Ridge 

^  In  1877  Delhi  acquired  prominence  as  the  place  where  H.  M. 
Queen  Victoria  was  proclaimed  Empress  of  India.  The  magnifi- 
cent Coronation  Durbar  of  H.  M.  King  Edward  VII  of  England 
was  also  held  there  by  Lord  Curzon,  Viceroy  of  India,  on 
January  1,  1900. 


AGRA  67 

where  the  British  troops  were  stationed  and 
from  which  a  fine  view  is  afforded;  Flagstaff 
Tower,  where  the  women  and  children  were 
assembled  on  May  11,  1857;  and  the  very  in- 
adequate Mutiny  Memorial  Monument,  erected 
to  commemorate  the  lieroic  deeds  of  the  offi- 
cers and  soldiers  who  fell  during  the  summer  of 
1857. 

But  the  scene  that  will  linger  longest  in  my 
memory  is  the  panorama  of  the  massive  walls, 
towers,  gateways,  and  the  half-ruined  palace. 
Then,  one  can  hardly  forget  the  Pearl  Mosque, 
which  is  of  such  rare  beauty  as  to  prove  a  fitting 
memorial  to  the  "Great  Builder,"  Shah  Jahan; 
the  latter  has  a  prototype  in  modern  times,  — 
none  other  than  Ludwig  II  of  Bavaria,  whose 
palaces  also  linger  in  the  memory  as  a  dream  of 
beauty. 

Agra,  December  ISth:  No  one  can  visit  Delhi 
and  Agra  without  being  impressed  by  the  rulers 
of  the  golden  period  of  the  Mogul  Empire,  the 
great  Akbar  standing  forth  prominently  as  a 
wise  potentate  and  the  strongest  personality  in 
Indian  history,  certainly  in  Central  India.  His 
son,  Jahangir,  was  not  his  equal,  but  his  mantle 
of  power  seems  to  hkve  descended  to  his  grand- 
son. Shah  Jahan,  who,  like  him,  was  famed  in 
the  matter  of  building,  as  we  have  seen  at  Delhi, 
and  furthermore  were  to  see  at  Agra,  our  next 


68      TRAVELS  IN  THE   FAR  EAST 

point  of  observation.  We  arrived  on  the  after- 
noon of  December  18th  and  proceeded  to  the 
Hotel  Metropole. 

As  the  train  approached  the  city,  we  caught 
a  ghmpse  of  that  incomparable  creation,  the 
Taj  Mahal,  and  were  immediately  under  its 
spell,  so  we  at  once  took  carriages  and  were 
conveyed  there.  As  we  drew  near,  the  massive, 
finely  proportioned  gateway  burst  upon  us. 
The  entrance  is  of  red  sandstone,  with  Moorish 
arches  and  pavilions,  while  a  wall  of  masonry, 
with  turreted  corners,  encircles  the  grounds. 
At  the  centre  of  the  two  adjacent  sides  are  gate- 
ways of  similar  construction  to  the  entrance. 
One  is,  however,  unprepared  for  the  white- 
domed  vision  beyond,  which  at  once  inspired 
admiration  and  awe.  The  first  view  was  at 
sunset,  and  the  atmosphere  was  filled  with  a 
golden  haze  that  rested  lovingly  on  the  graceful 
turrets  and  dome.  We  lingered  on  to  catch  the 
moonlight  effect,  and  as  the  twilight  faded  and 
the  outlines  became  shadowy,  there  was  a  pecu- 
liar illusion,  which  was  heightened  by  the  first 
glimmering  silvery  light,  soon  to  be  succeeded 
by  a  full  radiance  which  illumined  the  white 
marble  pile  and  the  whole  environment.  We 
sat  spellbound  amidst  the  loveliness  of  the  scene ; 
no  one  spoke,  and  this  silent  tribute  of  respect 
was  shared  by  other  *' lookers  on." 

Our  last  visit  was  in  the  full  effulgence  of  the 


Kutub  Ulnar,  the  Tower  of  Victor;^  in  Old  Delhi 


THE   TAJ  DESCRIBED  69 

morning,  when  we  were  able  to  obtain  new 
points  of  view,  and  to  visit  the  adjacent  red 
sandstone  mosque,  as  well  as  the  corresponding 
opposite  edifice  (which  is  an  audience  room). 
Some  of  the  party  crossed  the  river  Jumna, 
which  runs  back  of  the  grounds,  so  as  to  see  the 
reflection  of  the  Taj  in  the  water.  No  words 
of  mine  can  fitly  describe  the  impression,  but 
figures  sometimes  aid  the  imagination.  The 
foundation  is  three  hundred  and  thirteen  feet 
square  and  eighteen  feet  in  height,  and  the 
edifice  itself  is  one  hundred  and  eighty-six  feet 
square,  with  a  dome  rising  to  the  height  of  two 
hundred  and  twenty  feet.  At  each  corner  of  the 
foundation  stands  a  tall,  graceful  minaret, 
one  hundred  and  thirty-seven  feet  in  height. 
Add  to  this  the  statement  that  it  took  twenty 
thousand  men  seventeen  years  to  complete  the 
work,  at  a  cost  variously  estimated  at  from 
$17,000,000  to  $20,000,000,  and  you  may  form 
an  idea  of  the  delicate  workmanship  and  artistic 
skill  which  the  Taj  represents.  But  simplicity  is, 
after  all,  the  keynote,  and  there  is  also  a  rare 
personality  in  its  outlines  reflecting  feminine 
grace.  This  is  distinctly  felt  when  viewing  the 
cenotaph  (the  real  tomb  is  in  a  crypt  below), 
which  is,  like  the  entire  edifice,  built  of  the 
whitest  of  marble  and  decorated  with  rare, 
beautiful  designs,  while  the  screen  which  en- 
closes  the   cenotaph   of   tl^e   Queen   is   also   of 

10 


70      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

marble,  carved  in  a  lacework  design  of  exquisite 
beauty. 

The  diamonds,  pearls,  rubies,  and  other 
precious  stones  which  once  embellished  this  and 
every  other  part  of  the  edifice,  were  taken  away 
by  ruthless  invaders  of  India;  and  their  places 
filled  by  colored  stones  with  little  loss  of  effect. 
Shah  Jahan's  cenotaph  lies  unenclosed  at  the 
left,  showing  that  it  was  not  included  in  the 
original  plan.  Indeed,  it  had  been  the  intention 
of  Shah  Jahan  to  build  for  himself  a  mausoleum, 
of  corresponding  style,  yet  of  dark  marble,  across 
the  river  Jumna;  the  shadow  which  rested  on 
his  later  life  prevented  the  idea  from  being 
carried  out.  But  the  creation  of  this  tribute  to 
all  womanhood  typified  in  his  beloved  wife  is  a 
monument  which  time  cannot  efl^ace.  Arjamand 
Banu  Begum  was  a  Persian  princess  of  rare 
beauty  and  of  great  personal  charm.  She  died 
in  giving  birth  to  her  eighth  child,  and  through 
all  the  years  had  held  the  supreme  place  in 
Shah  Jahan's  life;  despite  the  Oriental  custom 
of  having  other  wives,  she  had  won  for  herself 
the  title  of  Mumtaz-i-Mahal,  ''The  exalted  of  the 
Palace."  Hence  the  Eastern  habit  of  placing  a 
mausoleum  in  a  garden  was  peculiarly  fitting  for 
so  peerless  a  queen ;  in  this  instance  it  forms  a 
perfect  setting  for  the  Taj. 

The  garden  was  redeemed  from  a  hopeless 
tangle    (into   which   it   had    fallen),    under   the 


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THE  FATE  OF  SHAH  JAHAN   71 

direction  of  Lord  Curzon,  who  did  so  much  to 
stay  ruin  and  devastation.  It  is  laid  out  in  a 
conventional  style,  one  square  being  devoted  to 
roses,  another  to  poinsettia,  while  long  stretches 
of  foliage  plants  here  and  there,  with  a  mass 
of  dark  green  cypress  trees,  give  it  a  breadth  of 
view  that  is  enhanced  by  a  marble  avenue, 
leading  from  the  entrance  to  the  tombs,  the 
sweep  of  avenue  being  broken  midway  by  a 
marble  seat  from  which  a  fine  view  of  the  Taj  is 
afforded.  Running  parallel  were  marble  aque- 
ducts which  contained,  at  set  intervals,  playing 
fountains;  these  were  inactive,  however,  at  the 
time  of  our  visits.  One  could  return  to  the  Taj 
day  after  day,  as  the  subtle  influence  of  its  beauty 
and  its  spiritual  significance  are  ever  present. 
Sad  indeed  was  the  fate  of  the  builder.  Shah 
Jahan,  who  ruled  from  1620  to  1658  and  who 
was  then  deposed  by  his  son,  Aurangzeb.  The 
latter  transferred  the  capital  to  Delhi,  causing 
his  father  to  languish  seven  long  years  in  a  small 
suite  of  rooms  in  the  palace  at  Agra  as  a  prisoner, 
his  only  companion  a  devoted  daughter. 

While  the  centre  of  attraction  in  Agra  is  the 
Taj  Mahal,  the  fort,  palace,  and  Moti  Musjid 
(Pearl  Mosque)  are  of  equal  interest.  Here 
we  see  the  impress  of  three  rulers,  Akbar  (the 
grandson  of  the  noted  Mogul  king,  Baber,  and 
son  of  Humayun,  both  of  whom  lived  at  Agra), 
Jahangir,  his  son,  and  Shah  Jahan,  his  grandson. 


72      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

Akbar  removed  to  Agra,  from  the  old  capital 
Dteb-Fatehpur-Sikri,  about  1568,  but  the  only 
monuments  that  are  now  attributed  to  him  are 
the  massive  walls  of  the  fort  and  the  red  palace. 
Jahangir  built  the  palace  which  bears  his  name, 
but  as  it  is  somewhat  gloomy  in  appearance, 
his  chief  claims  to  distinction  as  a  builder  are 
the  tombs  of  Itimid-ud-Daulah  and  Akbar's 
tomb  at  Sikandra.  Shah  Jahan  built  the  pal- 
ace which  contains  the  beautiful  Diwan-i-Am, 
or  Hall  of  Pubhc  Audience;  the  Diwan-i-Khas, 
or  Hall  of  Private  Audience;  the  Shiah  Mahal, 
or  Mirror  Palace;  the  Saman-Burj,  known  as 
the  Octagon,  or  Jasmine  Tower;  the  Mina 
Musjid,  or  Gem  Palace  (the  private  mosque  of 
the  Emperor) ;  with  many  other  notable  edifices. 
The  Moti  Musjid,  or  Pearl  Mosque,  is  furnished 
with  a  superb  exterior  setting. 

Having  described  similar  halls  in  the  palace 
at  Delhi,  I  will  only  briefly  enumerate  some  dis- 
tinguishing features  of  each  of  the  buildings 
just  mentioned.  All  were  either  injured  or  de- 
faced in  the  mutiny  conflict  of  1857,  which 
raged  in  Agra  from  May  10th  to  October  10th, 
six  thousand  women  and  children,  with  a  few 
men,  having  found  a  refuge  there  during  the 
siege.  A  feature  of  the  Public  Audience  Room 
is  a  grille  in  the  back  wall,  through  which  the 
Sultanas  or  members  of  the  Zenana  could  watch 
the  proceedings  below ;   and  in  the  centre  of  the 


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THE   MIRROR  PALACE  73 

hall  is  a  raised  alcove  of  white  marble,  richly 
decorated  in  low  relief. 

The  Hall  of  Private  Audience  consists  of  an 
open  colonnade  in  front  of  an  enclosed  room  at 
the  back.  The  illustration  shows  the  front  over- 
looking the  court,  while  beyond  is  the  Octagon 
Tower,  the  residence  of  the  chief  Sultana.  In 
the  court  a  portion  of  the  marble  pavement  is 
made  to  represent  a  pachisi  or  chess  board,  and 
it  is  said  the  game  was  played  with  slave  girls, 
who  were  used  instead  of  the  customary  chess- 
men. The  Octagon  Tower  is  built  out  over  the 
river  Jumna,  as  will  be  seen  in  a  later  picture. 

The  portion  known  as  the  Mirror  Palace  is 
unique,  as  it  consists  of  two  dark  rooms  fur- 
nished with  fountains  and  an  artificial  cascade 
arranged  to  fall  over  lighted  lamps.  The  walls 
and  ceilings  are  decorated  with  innumerable 
small  mirrors  which  were  restored  in  1875. 
The  palace  measures  seventy  by  forty  feet,  and 
is  built  at  the  east  end  of  a  garden  two  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  square,  planted  with  flowers  and 
shrubs.  Underneath  the  structure  are  subter- 
ranean apartments  for  use  during  the  summer 
heat,. and  from  here  passages  lead  to  still  cooler 
rooms  in  another  portion  of  the  fort. 

In  the  southeast  corner  of  this  Anguri  Bagh, 

or    garden,    are    three    finely    decorated    rooms 

which  were  once  the  private  apartments  of  Shah 

Jahan.      The    Jahangir    Mahal,    or    palace,    is 

11 


74      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR   EAST 

noticeable  on  account  of  the  bright  red  tiles 
used  in  the  upper  portion.  It  also  has  a  fine 
domed  hall  which  leads  into  a  large  central 
court. 

But  the  crowning  single  feature  in  this  fort 
(which  is  over  a  mile  in  extent)  is  the  Moti 
Musjid,  or  Pearl  Mosque.  Mr.  Ferguson  con- 
siders it  to  be  '*one  of  the  purest  and  most  ele- 
gant buildings  of  its  class  to  be  found  in  the 
world."  It  ranks  next  to  the  Taj  Mahal  among 
Shah  Jahan's  creations.  The  entrance  gateway 
is  of  red  sandstone  and  is  approached  by  a  lofty 
double  staircase.  The  exterior  is  faced  with 
slabs  of  red  sandstone,  but  the  interior  is  built 
of  marble,  white,  blue,  and  gray  veined.  The 
courtyard  of  the  mosque  is  deservedly  cele- 
brated. In  the  centre  is  a  marble  tank  for 
ablutions,  and  a  marble  cloister  runs  around 
three  of  its  sides.  A  flight  of  steps  leads  to  the 
roof  of  the  mosque,  from  which  a  fine  view  is 
obtained.^ 

A  pleasant  excursion  across  the  river  led  us 
to  the  tasteful  tomb  of  Itimid-ud-Daulah.  The 
entrance  gate  is  fine,  and  the  approach  through 
spacious,  well-kept  grounds  gives  one  a  wide 
perspective.  The  fa9ade  is  of  marble  with  con- 
siderable inlaid  work.  Itimid-ud-Daulah  was 
a  Persian  High  Treasurer,  and  the  grandfather 
of  the  Lady  of  the  Taj.    The  tomb  was  built  by 

^  This  seeming  repetition  refers  to  a  second  Pearl  Mosque. 


TOMB   OF  A  PERSIAN   OFFICIAL  75 

Shah  Jahangir,  as  was  that  of  King  Akbar  at 
Sikandra,  five  miles  distant  from  Agra  and 
a  delightful  excursion  to  make.  It  has  an  im- 
posing gateway  and  is  situated  in  the  midst  of  a 
veritable  park.  It  is  of  red  sandstone,  inlaid 
with  white  marble,  and  is  a  pyramidal  building, 
four  stories  high,  the  first  three  being  of  red 
sandstone  and  the  fourth  of  marble.  The  base 
measures  three  hundred  and  twenty  feet,  and 
the  fourth  story  one  hundred  and  fifty-seven 
feet  (narrow  stairways  leading  upward),  which 
indicates  a  gradual  decrease  and  tapering  in 
size.  A  massive  cloister  runs  around  the  lower 
story,  and  the  fourth  story  is  occupied  by  the 
marble  cenotaph  of  Akbar,  directly  over  the 
crypt  which  contains  his  tomb.  The  cenotaph 
is  engraved  with  ninety-nine  names  of  the  deity. 
This  story  is  surrounded  by  a  white  marble 
cloister,  and  on  the  outer  side  of  each  arch  is  an 
oval-shaped  recess,  filled  with  delicate  lace- 
work  carving  of  varied  patterns  in  marble.  The 
effect  is  unlike  anything  elsewhere  seen.  There 
are  several  other  historic  tombs  in  the  vicinity, 
and  many  points  of  interest  all  the  way  to  Ak- 
bar's  old  capital,  Fatehpur-Sikri.  This  is  twenty- 
two  miles  distant,  a  day's  excursion,  and  easily 
reached  in  automobiles;  although  it  took  some 
faith  to  trust  one's  self  to  the  rather  indifferent 
chauffeurs. 


76      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

Fatehpur-Sikri  :  This  royal  but  long-de- 
stroyed city  is  sacred  to  the  memory  of  the 
Emperor  Akbar,  who  built  a  gorgeous  structure 
and  selected  the  site  through  the  advice  of  the 
renowned  Saint  Selim  Chisti.  He  eventually 
abandoned  it  on  account  of  its  unhealthy  loca- 
tion, and  transferred  the  capital  to  Agra,  where, 
as  we  have  seen,  he  built  a  fort  and  the  red  pal- 
ace. There  is  an  unusually  imposing  gateway 
on  one  side  of  Fatehpur-Sikri,  leading  up  to  the 
mosque,  but  we  made  our  entrance  from  the 
adjacent  side ;  hence  our  first  view  was  like  that 
in  the  illustration.  A  large,  five-story  building 
to  the  left  served  as  a  recreation  place  for  the 
ladies  of  the  court,  while  back  and  to  the  left 
of  this  was  seen  the  beautiful  dome  of  the 
mosque,  said  to  be  almost  a  counterpart  of 
the  one  at  Mecca.  So  many  and  varied  are 
the  buildings  in  this  fort  that  it  is  inexpedient 
to  do  more  than  allude  briefly  to  them. 

The  three  palaces  of  the  Sultanas  are  notable 
for  their  beauty,  variety,  and  wealth  of  orna- 
ment, the  Sultanas  being  Miriam,  the  Portu- 
guese Christian;  Rakinah,  Akbar's  cousin;  and 
the  Turkish  Sultana.  The  Emperor  also  has  a 
suite  of  several  rooms.  The  palace  of  Birbal, 
Akbar's  prime  minister,  is,  architecturally,  the 
most  perfect  of  any  in  the  enclosure  and  was 
built  for  his  daughter.  The  rooms  allotted  to 
the  Zenana  are  spacious.     Near  the  recreation 


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THE   DIWAN-I-KHAS  77 

building  is  the  famous  pachisi  or  chess  board, 
similar  to  the  one  at  Agra,  where  Akbar  and 
his  vizier,  sitting  opposite,  marshalled  the  slave 
girls  to  and  fro. 

The  plan  of  the  mosque  is  unusual  in  its  con- 
struction, and  so  is  the  massive  gateway.  Pass- 
ing through  the  latter,  an  exquisite  monument 
presents  itself  in  the  tomb  of  Selim  Chisti,  the 
venerable  hermit  saint,  who  lived  a  retired  ex- 
istence in  a  cave  and  yet  who  was  the  controlling 
force  in  Akbar's  life.  The  place  is  simple,  and 
displays  such  delicacy  of  skill  in  its  composition 
as  to  excite  admiration.  It  is  surrounded  by  a 
beautiful  white  marble  lattice-work  screen,  or- 
namented with  brass,  and  the  canopy  over  the 
tomb  of  the  saint  is  inlaid  with  mother-of-pearl. 
The  photograph  is  very  effective,  but,  like  many 
others,  it  has  to  be  omitted  (I  have  five  hundred 
scenes  of  the  tour).  The  public  audience  room 
is  encompassed  by  cloisters.  There  is  a  treasury, 
a  mint,  a  record  office,  and  a  building  with  three 
large  rooms  known  as  the  Minchauli  Anch, 
which  is  said  to  be  the  place  where  the  Emperor 
played  hide-and-seek  with  the  ladies  of  the  court ; 
this  is  probably  an  erroneous  statement. 

The  most  unusual  building  is  the  Diwan-i- 
Khas,  the  council  chamber.  From  the  outside 
it  seems  to  be  two  stories  high,  yet  there  is  really 
but  one  story  with  a  large  central  pillar  which 
is  surrounded   by  an  immense  circular  capital. 


78      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

From  this  radiates  four  stone  causeways  to  the 
corners  of  the  room;  these  are  enclosed  by  an 
open  trellis  with  stone  balustrades.  The  shaft 
of  the  pillar  is  finely  carved,  and  all  is  in  perfect 
condition,  due  to  careful  restoration.  It  is  said 
that  the  Emperor  sat  in  the  centre  of  the  pillar 
when  he  held  a  council,  while  the  four  advisers 
sat  in  the  corners.  Stone  staircases  lead  to  the 
roof,  where  a  glimpse  of  the  whole  enclosure  is 
afforded.  A  novel  view  is  obtained  down  a 
stone-paved  roadway,  leading  to  a  large  court, 
at  the  north  end  of  which  is  the  deer  minaret, 
or  circular  tower,  seventy  feet  high,  decorated 
with  protruding  elephants'  tusks  in  stone.  From 
the  lanterns  at  the  top,  the  Emperor  is  said  to 
have  shot  antelopes  drawn  under  the  column  by 
beaters  employed  for  that  special  purpose. 

Reading  between  the  lines,  one  learns  that 
Akbar  was  a  very  peculiar  character,  domineer- 
ing and  despotic,  yet  generous  to  the  immediate 
members  of  his  household  and  to  his  favorite 
courtiers,  —  he  was  very  cruel,  however,  when 
they  displeased  him ;  very  broad  in  his  religious 
views;  and  although  a  devoted  Mohammedan, 
he  was  tolerant  of  all  religions,  and  there  are 
accounts  of  religious  discussions  taking  place,  in 
which  every  shade  of  belief  was  represented. 
He  decreed  that  his  daughters  should  all  marry 
Hindu  princes. 

Our  guide  told  us  that  formerly  there  were 


A  column  in  the  Audience  Hall  {Diwan-i-Kbas) 


CAWNPORE  79 

underground  passages  and  apartments,  but  he 
did  not  state,  as  did  another  guide  to  a  party  of 
tourists  at  Agra,  that  these  apartments  were  for 
the  discipHning  and  torturing  of  the  members 
of  the  Zenana  and  even  of  his  wives.  Taking 
into  consideration  the  attention  he  gave  to  the 
comfort  and  pleasure  of  the  ladies  of  the  court, 
as  seen  in  the  palaces  and  the  large  recreation 
building  extant,  this  statement  appears  incon- 
sistent, and  so  it  is  necessary  to  give  him  the 
benefit  of  the  doubt.  The  **auto"  ride  back  to 
Agra  was  accomplished  without  any  broken 
limbs,  and  another  red-letter  day  was  ended. 

Before  leaving  Agra  one  should  either  visit  the 
Taj  Mahal  for  a  final  look,  or,  from  the  Jas- 
mine Tower  of  the  palace,  gaze  through  the  in- 
tervening two  miles  of  space  to  catch  its  shadowy 
outline  as  seen  by  Shah  Jahan  during  those 
seven  solitary  years  of  vigil.  I  chose  the  latter 
method  for  convenience'  sake,  after  visiting  the 
bazars,  and  in  consequence  was  rewarded  with 
a  never-to-be-forgotten  view. 

Delhi  and  Agra  are  indissolubly  connected 
by  their  rulers  and  by  historical  events ;  in  leav- 
ing them  one  feels  as  if  never  again  would  so 
much  of  unique  interest  be  presented  in  the  line 
of  architectural  skill  and  poetic  sentiment. 

Cawnpore,  December  %^th:  We  took  a  night 
train   from   Agra   to   Cawnpore,   arriving   there 


80      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

early  on  the  morning  of  December  24th  and 
stopping  over  a  few  hours  to  break  the  journey. 
Cawnpore  is  full  of  mutiny  memories,  and  we 
visited  some  of  the  historic  points,  going  first 
to  the  Ghat  (steps)  where  cruel  Nana  Sahib 
burned,  or  murdered,  a  boatload  of  Englishmen ; 
also  to  other  scenes  of  horror.  Then  we  went 
to  the  memorial  well,  and  to  the  memorial 
church  with  its  peaceful  interior,  which  was 
being  decorated  with  greens  in  true  English 
fashion,  for  the  service  of  the  morrow,  when 
** Peace  and  good  will  to  men"  would  ring  out, 
and  for  the  time  being  mutiny  memories  would 
be  forgotten.  We  drove  to  the  park,  where,  as 
an  accessory  to  a  certain  artistic  building,  there 
is  to  be  seen  an  exquisite  angel  of  carved  marble, 
a  memorial  erected  by  the  Government.  Next, 
we  visited  some  bazars  of  no  special  interest. 

-♦- 
LucKNOW,  December  24tth:  After  luncheon, 
we  took  the  train  for  Lucknow.  On  the  way, 
Murray's  "Lucknow"  was  re-read,  and  an- 
other mutiny  chapter  added.  Lucknow  is  the 
capital  of  the  province  of  Oudh.  In  1813  the 
English  conferred  the  title  of  king  on  the  ruler, 
but,  for  reasons  of  distrust,  withdrew  it  in  1856, 
and  at  the  same  time  discharged  eighty  thou- 
sand high-caste  soldiers,  —  an  action  which  pro- 
duced instant  dissatisfaction  and  was  one  of 
the  direct  causes  for  the  mutiny.     We  arrived 


■Wk 


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12 


A   CHRISTMAS  ABROAD  81 

at  Wutzler's  Royal  Hotel  in  the  late  afternoon, 
and  felt  gladdened  by  the  comfort  and  good 
cheer  that  awaited  us,  —  a  hopeful  sign  inas- 
much as  the  morrow  was  Christmas  Day.  A 
drive  to  Wingfield  Park  and  a  visit  to  an  ex- 
quisite tomb  mosque  ended  the  sight-seeing 
day. 

Christmas  without  the  usual  morning  service 
seemed  peculiar,   but  the  law   of  the  majority 
in  our  party  prevailed,   and   we  drove  instead 
to  the  Fort  and  Residency,  the  centre  of  interest 
since   1857.     The  awe   and   solemnity  inspired 
by  that  visit,  with  the  Christmas  bells  ever  and 
anon   breaking   the   silence,    can   never   be   for- 
gotten.    The  Residency  is  situated  in  the  centre 
of  a  large  park  which  was  the  scene  of  a  siege 
lasting    from    July    1    to    November    17,    1857, 
three  thousand  men,  women,  and  children,  be- 
sides the  military,  being  there  for  safety.     The 
number  of  refugees  was  reduced  to  one  thou- 
sand  by   September;    the   large   rooms   on   the 
ground  floor  of  the  Government  building,  with 
two   stories   above   and   extensive   subterranean 
rooms,  made  their  stay  possible,   but  involved 
great  suffering  and  horrible  death  as  the  siege 
went  on.     The  large  banquet  hall  of  the  Resi- 
dency near  by  was  'converted  into  a  hospital. 
Both  buildings  are  now  in  ruins.     But  the  roof- 
less Residency  with  a  tangle  of  vines  (and  a  de- 
crepit stairway  that  leads  upward)  furnishes  a  fine 


82      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

view  of  the  whole  scene,  which  in  its  very  quiet- 
ness bespeaks  bravery,  endurance,  and  heroic 
suffering. 

The  buildings  of  Lucknow  are  not  important, 
with  the  exception  of  the  Jumma  Musjid,  the 
great  Imambara  with  its  fine  gateway,  court, 
and  arcades.  The  Imambara  Mosque  has  two 
minarets,  and  the  great  Imambara  Hall,  one 
hundred  and  sixty- three  by  fifty- three  feet  and 
forty-nine  feet  high,  is  one  of  the  largest  vaulted 
galleries  in  the  world.  The  palaces  of  the  late 
king  of  Oudh,  the  clock  tower  and  other  mosques 
and  tombs,  were  visited,  for,  as  usual,  the  per- 
sistent guide  insisted  on  our  seeing  all  the 
''sights"  (exaggerating  the  descriptions,  it  al- 
ways seemed,  in  proportion  to  their  lack  of  im- 
portance), and  it  was  "Memsahib  this"  and 
''Memsahib  that."  Christmas  Day,  with  a 
June  temperature,  soon  came  to  a  close;  the 
dinner  was  somewhat  English  in  its  many  ap- 
pointments, with  its  roast  beef  and  plum  pud- 
ding, —  other  home  touches  being  added  by  our 
ever-thoughtful  Director.  There  was  good  cheer, 
but  we  silently  thought  of  home  and  the  friends 
far  away. 

Benares,  December  26th:  Benares  is  the 
sacred  city  of  India,  and  the  river  Ganges  with 
the  ghats  is  the  point  where  thousands  upon 
thousands    of   worshippers    congregate,    coming 


MAHARAJA'S  PALACE   IN   BENARES  83 

from  every  point  where  Hinduism  prevails.  We 
had  anticipated  revolting  scenes,  and  were  not 
disappointed,  as  the  superstition  of  the  devotees, 
the  grasping  conduct  of  the  priests,  and  the 
disgusting  practices  in  the  name  of  so-termed 
reHgion  all  contributed  to  that  end.  We  ar- 
rived during  the  afternoon  of  December  26th, 
going  to  the  Hotel  de  Paris.  A  drive  was  in- 
stantly proposed,  and  we  were  taken  to  the 
Maharaja's  palace,  with  grounds  laid  out  con- 
ventionally, the  trees  and  shrubs  represent- 
ing peacocks  and  animals  of  different  kinds. 
The  palace  was  spacious  but  tawdrily  fur- 
nished; it  is  noteworthy  as  being  the  home  to 
which  the  Maharaja  and  his  family  repair  when- 
ever they  feel  the  approach  of  death;  there 
is  a  superstitition  among  the  Hindus  that  death 
must  occur  on  the  north  bank  of  the  sacred 
river  Ganges,  in  order  to  become  a  monkey 
after  death  (monkeys  are  considered  sacred) ; 
for  if  the  demise  occurs  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  Ganges,  one  would  surely  become  a  donkey. 
We  next  turned  toward  the  celebrated  Mon- 
key Temple,  a  pretentious  but  inartistic  struc- 
ture of  red  sandstone,  presided  over  by  the 
monster  wife  of  Siva,  the  Goddess  Kali,  who 
is  seated  on  an  interior  shrine  and  almost  terri- 
fies the  beholder  by  her  demoniacal  smile,  her 
neck  being  wreathed  with  skulls.  The  Goddess 
of  Blood  demands  a  daily  sacrifice,   usually  a 


84      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

goat  and  sometimes  even  a  buffalo.  At  least 
twenty  terrible-looking  priests  were  in  attend- 
ance upon  her  when  we  arrived  and  were  ready 
to  slay  the  inoffensive  goat  if  money  was  forth- 
coming. We,  however,  declined  to  witness 
such  a  spectacle.  Monkeys,  disgustingly  old 
and  fat,  were  everywhere,  and  filled  large  trees 
surrounding  the  temple,  two  hundred  at  least 
being  visible.  Beggars,  mendicants,  and  priests 
were  abundantly  in  evidence. 

In  an  attempt  to  throw  some  small  coins  to 
some  children,  I  was  nearly  crushed,  the  crowd 
closing  around  me  and  separating  me  from  my 
party,  until  a  tall  Brahman  priest  with  a  huge 
stick  checked  the  mob  and  I  escaped,  to  be  ad- 
monished by  the  Director  of  the  party,  who  de- 
clared that  I  must  never  repeat  the  experiment, 
however  much  my  sympathies  might  be  drawn 
upon  by  the  scenes  that  impressed  me. 

The  following  morning  we  proceeded  at  7  a.  m. 
to  the  scene  of  all  others  in  Benares,  the  bath- 
ing ghats.  These  are  steps  leading  down  from 
the  plateau  to  the  river  on  the  banks  of  the 
Ganges  and  extending  a  distance  of  nearly 
three  miles.  Seated  in  a  native  small  boat,  we 
sailed  leisurely  up  and  down  for  hours,  watch- 
ing the  unusual  spectacle.  The  Brahman  priests 
were  everywhere  (there  being  thirty  thousand 
in  Benares  who  live  on  the  offerings  of  the  pil- 
grims), some  seated  under  umbrella-like  cano- 


^ 


^ 
<> 
^ 


bo 


A  BURNING   GHAT  85 

pies,    some    under    tents,    others    bathing,    and 
others  performing  certain  sacred  offices  for  the 
devotees  who  had  come  hither  in  state,  on  ele- 
phants or  camels,  by  train  or  on  foot,  all  intent 
on  securing  an  increase  of  religious  zeal.     The 
crowds  bathing  in  the  sacred  river  are  a  continu- 
ous spectacle.     There  are  piers  built  out  into 
the  stream  for  convenience,  filled  with  pilgrims 
of  every  hue  and  variety  of  dress  and  undress, 
some    simply    wearing    the    loin    cloth,    which 
startled  us  at  first,  but  now  seemed  the  legiti- 
mate outcome  of  a  lean  purse  and  a  hot  climate. 
In  addition,  there  is  a  continuous  refrain  of 
voices  in  solemn  supplication  to  one  or  more  of 
the  many  thousands  of  Hindu  gods,  for  it  has 
^been  stated  that  there  are  two  hundred  thou- 
sand divinities  in  India.     At  one  point  there  is 
a  burning  ghat,  and  one  morning  we  witnessed 
the  preparation  for  two  cremations,  one  of  a  poor 
man  and  the  other  of  the  wife  of  a  Maharaja. 
The  two  ceremonies  differed  little,  except  that 
the  wood  for  the  funeral  pile  of  one  cost  a  mere 
[pittance,    while   the   sandalwood   for   the   latter 
.cost  six  hundred  rupees.     The  corpse  is  carried 
|on  a  small  litter,  or  bier,  made  of  bamboo  sticks 
(a  man  is  robed  in  \Nfhite  and  a  woman  in  red), 
and    deposited   in    the    Ganges,    feet   foremost; 
care  is  taken  that  the  whole  body  be  immersed 
|in    order    that    purification    may    be    complete. 
[The  relatives  arrange  the  pile  of  wood,  about 


86      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

eight  logs  being  required.  Then  the  body  is 
transferred  to  the  {)yre,  and  the  torch  is  applied 
by  one  of  the  family,  the  others  sitting  solemnly 
around  in  a  circle.  When  consumed,  the  ashes 
are  scattered  in  the  river  (ranges.  It  is  a  grue- 
some spectacle,  however  much  it  may  be  in 
the  interest  of  sanitary  science;  but  less  so  to 
me,  who  had  witnessed  the  distribution  of  the 
bodies  at  the  Towers  of  Silence  in  Bombay. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  principal  commodity 
in  Benares  is  holiness ;  but  there  is  one  creditable 
industry,  namely,  the  manufacture  of  brass. 
Several  shops  were  visited,  but  we  liked  the 
modern  styles  less  than  the  old  Benares  brass 
with  which  we  were  familiar. 

One  thought  was  uppermost  while  in  Benares ; 
I  had  pondered  over  it  before  in  our  visit  to 
India.  It  was  that  with  the  masses  Hinduism 
to-day  means  superstition  and  idolatry,  in  spite 
of  the  fact  that  the  earlier  teacliing  was  of  a 
pure  character.  That  the  cultivated  Hindus 
accept  the  practices  and  the  priesthood  is  a 
mystery  as  subtle  as  the  law^  of  caste  or  the  iron 
law  of  custom.  It  is  a  depressing  thought,  and 
causes  a  profound  feeling  of  thankfulness  that 
Providence  placed  us  in  a  fairer  land. 

The  missionary  effort  of  England,  America, 
and  other  countries  has  for  years  been  directed 
toward  changing  the  condition  of  the  masses, 
but  the  law  of  caste  is  such  that,  to  use  a  set 


Si 


js. 


Si 


13 


THE   TOPE   OF   SARNATH  87 

phrase,  if  a  man  become  a  Christian,  he  is  os- 
tracized, even  by  the  members  of  his  own  family, 
unless  they  too  follow  his  example.  He  is  also 
ostracized  as  regards  any  business  he  may 
follow,  and  the  sacrifice  he  is  forced  to  undergo 
seems  almost  too  great  for  human  endurance. 
Still,  according  to  missionary  reports,  this  sacri- 
fice is  frequently  made,  which  is  equivalent  to 
true  heroism.  Naturally,  the  progress  of  pros- 
elyting is  slower  in  India  than  in  any  other 
country  of  the  Orient,  but  it  is  the  consensus 
of  opinion  that  a  greater  extension  of  hospitals 
in  charge  of  so-termed  missionaries  and  a  greater 
extension  of  schools  for  the  young  are  the  leaven 
that  will  work  satisfactory  results  in  the  future. 
Another  reassuring  sign  is  the  establishment  of 
the  Central  Hindu  College  at  Benares  by  Mrs. 
A.  B.  Besant,  the  Theosophist.  This  is  intended 
to  elevate  the  Hindu  youth,  combining  religious 
and  moral  education  with  mental  and  athletic 
development.  We  saw  only  the  exterior  of  the 
building. 

Four  miles  from  Benares,  at  the  site  of  the 
old  Benares,  called  Sarnath,  is  a  most  interest- 
ing ancient  monument  known  as  the  Tope  of 
Sarnath.  It  is  the  ,best  preserved  of  any  in 
Bengal.  It  was  erected  in  Deer  Park  to  mark 
the  spot  sanctified  by  the  presence  of  Buddha. 
It  was  explored  in  1835  and  found  to  be  a  stupa ; 
but  containing   no   relics,   it   was   evidently   in- 


88      TRAVELS   IN  THE   FAR  EAST 

tended  to  indicate  the  spot  where  Buddha  first 
assumed  his  mission  as  a  teacher.  The  tope 
consists  of  a  stone  basement  ninety-three  feet 
in  diameter  and  solidly  built  of  stone.  Above 
the  stone  is  brickwork  rising  to  a  height  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  feet  from  the  plain.  The 
lower  story  has  niches  evidently  intended  for 
a  figure  of  Buddha,  and  below  this  is  a  band 
of  sculptured  ornaments  of  great  beauty;  it  is 
thought  from  the  evidences  of  ornamentation 
that  in  date  it  corresponds  to  the  best  period  of 
Delhi.  There  is  an  interesting  temple  in  the 
vicinity,  and  there  formerly  was  a  large  Buddhist 
monastery.  One  also  finds  acres  of  mounds 
and  debris  indicating  a  large  Buddhist  founda- 
tion in  the  days  when  Buddha  reigned  supreme. 

We  left  Benares  for  Darjeeling  the  evening  of 
December  27th,  and  the  prospect  of  a  glimpse  of 
mountain  scenery  in  the  famed  Himalaya  foot- 
hills, eight  thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  was  ex- 
hilarating after  the  depressing  scenes  behind  us. 

-♦- 

SiLiGURi,  December  2Sth:  We  arrived  at 
Siliguri  early  the  following  morning,  Decem- 
ber 28th,  and  were  at  once  transferred  to  the 
Darjeeling  and  Himalayan  Railway  (two-foot 
gauge  with  open  cars),  a  triumph  of  engineering 
skill  on  account  of  the  sudden  and  wonderful 
curves  which  continue  from  the  beginning  to 
the  end  and  cause  the  famous  Horseshoe  Curve 


^ 


DARJEELING  89 

of  the  Pennsylvania  Railway  to  sink  into  insig- 
nificance. The  ride  was  exciting,  as  every  bend 
revealed  something  new  and  startling.  Leaving 
the  plain  of  Bengal  behind  us,  which  is  a  feature 
of  interest,  we  commenced  the  ascent;  first 
through  a  jungle  of  cane  and  grass,  both  very 
high,  where  tigers,  leopards,  bears,  deer,  and 
the  like  have  their  home;  and  next  through  a 
forest  with  few  familiar  trees  save  the  giant  oak. 
Higher  up  the  graceful  bamboo  is  seen,  and  still 
higher  fruit  trees  are  plentiful;  then  small  tea 
plantations  appear,  and  a  more  peaceful  land- 
scape. Another  bold  curve  and  the  glorious 
snow-capped  Kanchanjanga  range  is  in  full 
view,  —  a  perfect  panorama,  the  atmosphere 
being  clear  and  the  sky  almost  cloudless.  It 
was  one  of  the  supreme  moments  of  life.  We 
were  now  nearing  Darjeeling,  having  made  a 
gradual  descent  during  the  last  half-hour. 

Darjeeling,  December  28th :  The  Woodlands 
Hotel,  picturesquely  situated  on  the  side  of  a 
lesser  mountain,  became  our  abiding  place  for 
all  too  short  a  time.  Darjeeling  is  beautifully 
located  upon  a  ridge,  seven  thousand  feet  above 
water  level.  The  mountain  side  is  picturesque 
with  its  sprinkling  of  villas  and  bungalows,  tall 
mountains  towering  up  as  a  background.  The 
average  temperature  is  eighty  degrees  in  summer 
and  thirty  in  winter ;  hence  it  is  a  favorite  resort. 


90      TRAVELS   IN  THE   FAR  EAST 

There  is  a  sanitarium  here,  called  ''The  Eden." 
The  mountain  views  prove  a  great  attraction; 
the  Kanchanjanga  range  is  seen  beyond  the 
intervening  mountains,  with  a  vast  chasm  in  the 
foreground. 

The  Mall  is  the  principal  promenade,  and 
winds  around  Observatory  Hill,  from  which 
fine  glimpses  of  the  country  are  to  be  obtained. 
In  the  vicinity  is  St.  iVndrew's  Church,  with  in- 
teresting tablets,  and  near  by  the  summer  resi- 
dence of  the  Lieutenant-Governor  of  Beng-al. 

We  were  admonished  to  hurry  our  luncheon 
in  order  not  to  lose  the  opportunity  of  seeing  the 
celebrated  bazar  of  which  we  had  heard  so  much, 
even  in  Bombay.  I  do  not  refer  to  the  regular 
street  bazar,  but  to  a  bazar  at  which  crowds  of 
peasants  from  different  provinces  congregate 
once  a  week  for  the  sale  of  silver  and  turquoise 
jewelry,  which  is  mostly  exhibited  on  their  per- 
sons, supplemented  by  a  small  bundle  which 
is  carried;  but  the  transactions  are  very  primi- 
tive and  unlike  those  at  any  other  bazar.  Then 
there  are  the  quaint  things  they  wear,  —  artistic 
chatelaines  with  articles  generally  suspended 
and  thrown  over  the  shoulder,  instead  of  worn 
around  the  waist,  immense  earrings,  finger-rings, 
bracelets,  and  anklets;  also  large  round  silver 
pins  for  the  hair,  suspended  between  two  long 
ornaments  resembling  an  elongated  corkscrew 
—  all  linked  together  with  a  narrow  black  ribbon 


is. 


QUEER   HEAD   ORNAMENTS        91 

tied  ill  a  bow.  The  wearing  of  this  latter  head 
ornament  was  very  grotesque,  and  I  bought 
one  taken  from  the  hair  of  a  peasant,  besides 
purchasing  some  other  articles  which  now  serve 
as  a  reminder  of  the  quaint  scene.  The  dress 
of  the  men,  women,  and  children  was  peculiar, 
and  varied  according  to  their  province,  such  as 
Bhutias,  Tibetans,  Nepalese,  Pelaris,  Ghorkas, 
and  others. 

Their  shrewd  faces  were  illuminated  with 
smiles  as  they  realized  the  success  of  a  bargain 
which  was  doubtless  far  in  excess  of  the  value 
of  the  article  purchased ;  or  failing  of  a  bargain 
their  persistent  attempts  to  secure  one  were 
amusing.  As  we  walked  around  through  the 
motley  crowd,  powerless  to  express  ourselves 
except  in  the  universal  language  of  pantomime, 
with  mountains  all  around  us  and  the  Kanchan- 
janga  still  in  view,  we  felt  as  though  we  were  a 
part  of  a  play,  it  seemed  so  unreal.  Later  we 
visited  the  street  bazars,  all  of  them  furnished 
with  articles  claimed  to  be  antique.  In  the 
evening  the  proprietor  of  the  hotel  gave  us  an 
interesting  description  of  scenes  in  Tibet,  illus- 
trated with  lantern  views. 

The  cold  of  late  December  now  became  in- 
tense, and  it  required  some  courage  to  be  called 
at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  for  an  expedi- 
tion to  Tiger  Hill  to  see  the  sun  rise.  A  half- 
hour  after,  nevertheless,  saw  our  departure,  and 


92      TRAVELS   IN   THE   EAR  EAST 

you  would  have  smiled  at  the  spectacle  I  pre- 
sented, seated  in  a  chair  with  six  bearers  (two 
for  a  relay),  rugs  and  cushions  piled  around 
me,  the  crowning  feature  being  a  red  blanket 
which,  at  the  last  moment,  one  of  the  bearers 
draped  around  my  shoulders.  It  was  moonlight 
when  we  left  the  valley.  The  view  of  each  moun- 
tain and  gorge  was  marvellous,  so  unlike  day- 
light, as  the  moon  ever  throws  elusive  shadows 
about  all  things  it  touches.  Before  we  reached 
our  destination,  the  first  streak  of  dawn  was 
faintly  outlined  against  the  horizon,  as  if  herald- 
ing the  approach  of  some  great  spectacle,  which 
soon  came  in  shades  of  gold  and  pink;  then 
bursting  forth  like  a  great  ball  of  fire  which  il- 
luminated the  whole  scene,  even  the  distant  Kan- 
chanjanga  range  being  suffused  with  a  pinkish 
glow.  We  held  our  breath  and  were  thankful, 
for  the  guide  had  told  us  that  a  perfect  sunrise 
was  a  rare  occurrence.  Mount  Everest,  29,002 
feet  high,  eighty  utiles  distant,  and  the  highest 
peak  in  the  world,  as  usual  was  but  dimly 
seen.  iVfter  the  excitement  of  the  morning,  the 
hot  coffee  and  rolls  which  were  provided  for  us 
proved  most  acceptable.  We  lingered  on  for  a 
half-hour,  amused  that  even  above  the  clouds 
human  nature  is  the  same,  as  every  bearer 
produced  rings  or  other  trinkets  for  our  inspec- 
tion and  possible  purchase.  The  descent  was 
made  in  the  blinding  sunlight,  and  indeed  it  was 


PRESENTATION  DAY  IN  CALCUTTA   93 

so  warm  that  we  laid  aside  our  blankets,  and 
we  noted  the  different  aspects  which  all  Nature 
wore. 

A  nine-o'clock  breakfast  followed,  and  we  were 
ready  for  other  experiences.  The  descent  to 
Siliguri  was  not  unlike  the  ascent,  with  the  view 
reversed.  A  night  train  conveyed  us  to  Sara 
Ghat,  where  we  arrived  early  in  the  morning 
and  were  taken  across  the  river  Ganges  to 
Dumonkdeah,  where  we  took  a  train  for  Cal- 
cutta, one  hundred  and  sixteen  miles  distant. 

-♦- 

Calcutta,  December  Slst:  There  is,  in  a  cer- 
tain sense,  a  link  between  Benares  and  Calcutta ; 
the  latter  is  situated  on  the  Ilooghly  River,  which 
is  an  outlet  of  the  river  Ganges,  but  no  resem- 
blance exists  between  India's  modern  winter 
capital  and  the  city  of  superstition.  We  arrived 
in  Calcutta  on  December  Slst,  and  repaired  to 
the  Strand  Hotel.  An  afternoon  drive  to  Eden 
Park  proved  delightful,  and  on  every  side  we 
saw  attractive  surroundings. 

January  1st  dawned  brightly,  and  found  us 
at  7  A.  M.  driving  to  the  fine  esplanade,  called 
*'The  Maidan,"  and  extending  two  miles.  We 
were  on  our  way  to  witness  the  great  annual 
military  review  by  the  Viceroy,  now  Lord  Minto. 
Presentation  Day  is  the  term  here  applied  to 
New  Year's  Day.  It  was  a  gala  occasion  indeed, 
and  the  equipages  of  the  rich,  and  the  smaller 


94      TRAVELS   IN  THE   FAR  EAST 

vehicles  of  all  descriptions,  encircled  the  barrier 
that  intervened  between  the  spectators  and  those 
who  were  to  furnish  the  display.  There  were 
also  hundreds  on  foot,  some  of  them  in  the 
brilliant  native  dress  of  various  colors,  with  their 
many-hued  turbans.  This  was  specially  notice- 
able in  the  livery  of  many  of  the  native  carriages, 
where  gold  trimmings  were  profuse,  and  the 
same  scheme  was  carried  out  in  the  dress  of  the 
two  coachmen  and  two  footmen,  the  latter  being 
called  syces.  The  militia  presented  a  splendid 
appearance,  and  the  infantry  marched  with  the 
greatest  precision,  but  the  cavalry,  as  usual, 
carried  off  the  honors  as  regards  spectacular 
display,  particularly  the  native  cavalry  with 
their  picturesque  dress.  Lord  Minto  and  his 
aides  were  elegantly  decked  in  their  accoutre- 
ments and  elicited  much  cheering. 

We  returned  for  a  nine- thirty  breakfast,  and 
left  afterwards  for  a  sight-seeing  expedition, 
having  been  warned  not  to  expect  much  in  this 
line  at  Calcutta.  St.  Paul's  Cathedral  —  Eng- 
lish —  was  interesting  on  account  of  the  many 
memorials  and  statues,  one  of  Bishop  Heber 
having  much  merit.  Fort  William  and  the 
grounds  of  the  Government  House,  the  Dal- 
housie  Club,  the  Black  Hole,  and  other  points 
were  also  visited. 

The  Black  Hole  is  so  often  mentioned  in  con- 
nection with  Calcutta  that  a  few  words  of  ex- 


THE  BLACK  HOLE  OF  CALCUTTA  95 

planation  seem  necessary.  It  was  at  the  time 
of  the  siege  of  Calcutta  in  1756  a  small  room  in 
the  barracks,  twenty-two  by  fourteen  feet  in  size, 
and  sixteen  feet  in  height.  One  hundred  human 
beings  were  crowded  into  it  on  the  night  of 
June  20th,  and  there  were  only  twenty-three 
survivors  in  the  morning.  A  memorial  obelisk 
was  erected  by  one  of  these  survivors,  and  this 
was  restored  by  order  of  I^ord  Curzon. 

The  Imperial  Museum  is  a  very  large  building 
and  has  extensive  geological  and  archaeological 
departments.     It  also  possesses  a  fine  library. 

We  omitted  the  burning  ghat,  remembering 
the  one  at  Benares,  but  a  Hindu  temple  revealed 
another  repulsive  goddess.  Kali,  and  the  sacrifice 
of  the  goat  had  just  occurred.  The  river  front 
has  a  ghat  for  bathing. 

A  drive  to  the  distant  Botanical  Gardens 
proved  of  much  interest,  and  the  largest  banyan 
tree  in  the  world  was  there  displayed,  having 
four  hundred  and  sixty-four  aerial  branches  and 
covering  over  an  acre  in  extent ;  there  were  also 
long  avenues  of  palms. 

Lacking  the  fine  harbor  of  Bombay,  Calcutta 
is  still  a  city  of  great  commercial  importance 
and  of  many  natural  •  attractions  and  fine  public 
buildings.  It  is,  however,  a  place  of  decided 
contrasts,  imposing  streets  of  residences  being 
not  far  distant  from  as  wretched  a  native  quar- 
ter as  may  be  seen  in  any  other  Indian  city. 

14 


96      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

To  the  casual  tourist  Calcutta  seems  a  large 
English  city  (eight  hundred  thousand  inhabi- 
tants) ,  especially  so  in  the  life  on  the  Maidan,  the 
centre  of  attraction  and  fashion.  Eden  Park  is 
also  greatly  frequented,  and  the  race-course  is 
the  finest  in  India;  but,  notwithstanding,  Cal- 
cutta has  not  the  charm  of  Bombay.  The 
Strand  Hotel  gave  us  an  elaborate  menu  for  our 
New  Year's  dinner,  which  was  supplemented  by 
flowers  and  bonbons,  and  we  all  voted  the  occa- 
sion, even  if  in  a  foreign  land,  a  success.  And 
so  I  link  Lucknow  and  Calcutta  together  in  the 
holiday  column  of  my  memory. 

I  have  before  alluded  to  the  sad,  dejected  faces 
of  the  natives  of  North  India;  the  Bengali 
seemed  a  trifle  more  melancholy,  as  is  their 
reputation.  We  did  not  regret  our  departure, 
although  it  meant  the  loss  of  our  faithful  Indian 
guide,  Dalle,  and  our  travelling  servant,  Jusef, 
both  with  their  long  India  bordered  shawls  ar- 
tistically thrown  over  one  shoulder,  and  their 
high  white  turbans  rolled  round  and  round  the 
head,  the  finishing  touch  being  a  tall  conical 
ornament  that  stood  up  in  the  centre.  This  is 
significant  of  their  territorial  province,  styles  of 
turbans  varying  with  the  locality.  The  early 
hour  of  6  A.  M.  found  us  departing  on  the  British 
and  India  line  for  a  steamer  trip  of  three  days, 
Rangoon  being  our  destination. 

The  trip  was  restful,  but  afforded  little  variety. 


^ 


I 


RICE   HARVESTING  97 

and  we  hailed  our  arrival  at  Rangoon  with 
delight  early  on  the  morning  of  January  6th. 
By  a  late  decision  we  concluded  to  go  on  at  once 
to  Mandalay  and  leave  Rangoon  to  be  visited  on 
our  return.  Taking  a  train  at  noon,  we  were 
favored  by  journeying  in  de  luxe  cars,  sacred  to 
the  use  of  high  officials,  and  so  complete  in 
ecjuipment  as  to  include  bathroom,  shower-bath, 
and  other  conveniences.  The  afternoon  ride 
was  through  a  fertile  country,  rice  and  bananas 
being  the  principal  products.  The  rice  crop  had 
been  garnered,  and  piles  of  bags  were  ready  at 
every  station  for  shipment  to  Rangoon  (the 
amount  shipped  is  two  hundred  thousand  tons 
annually).  Later  we  visited  a  field  where  rice 
was  being  harvested.  It  is  not  unlike  wheat  in 
the  sheaf,  but  smaller.  The  country  process 
after  cutting  is  first  to  pound  the  rice,  and  then 
winnow  it  so  as  to  remove  the  hull ;  this  is  done 
by  throwing  it  in  the  air,  by  means  of  a  round 
flat  plate  with  a  handle.  Machinery  is  used  in 
the  cities. 

Burma  :  We  were  now^  far  from  the  centre  of 
things,  in  a  remote  corner  of  Southeastern  Asia, 
hidden  in  the  midst  of  mountains,  which  were  for 
ages  the  safeguard  against  Indian  invaders  and 
the  aggression  of  China.  Proselyting  Buddhists, 
however,  found  their  way  from  India  and 
brought  civilization  with  them. 


98      TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

There  is  a  great  diversity  of  races  in  Burma, 
various  foreign  tribes  having  come  there  and 
remained,  making  a  mixed  population.  There 
are  now  about  sixty  thousand  Palaings  wearing 
the  Chin  dress.  The  Kachins,  a  warhke  people, 
formerly  made  raids  on  the  Burmans  who  lived 
on  the  border  of  China,  the  Chins  dwelling 
among  the  hills.  The  Karens  are  numerically 
the  strongest  and  live  in  the  delta  of  the  Irra- 
waddy.  They  had  been  an  oppressed  people, 
but  achieved  their  liberty  under  British  rule, 
and  it  is  estimated  that  one  hundred  thousand 
abjured  Buddhism  and  became  Christians.  The 
Chins  are  the  oldest,  having  come  from  China 
two  thousand  years  ago. 

Southern  Burma  was  under  British  rule  before 
the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century,  but  it  is 
only  since  January,  1886,  that  England  has  con- 
trolled Northern  Burma.  King  Thebaw's  down- 
fall was  caused  by  his  numerous  cruel  acts  to 
foreigners,  which  compelled  the  British  to  take 
steps  to  check  him.  His  headquarters  were  at 
Mandalay,  and  his  deserted  palace  is  the  centre 
of  attraction  to-day.  The  most  prominent  feat- 
ure is  the  fort,  in  and  about  which  are  grouped 
the  palace  of  the  King,  the  houses  of  Government 
officials  and  residents  of  the  military  quarter. 

The  palace  was  erected  by  Mindon  Min, 
King  Thebaw's  father.  It  covers  an  immense 
area  and  is  encompassed  by  a  high  wall  of  red 


>3 


8 


■^ 


IN   THE   PALACE   OF   THE   KING  99 

brick,  in  which  are  twelve  gates,  each  one 
surrounded  by  a  conical  cupola,  with  layers  of 
upturned  eaves  after  the  peculiar  fashion  of  the 
country;  the  same  thing  is  characteristic  of 
China. 

The  fort  is  entirely  surrounded  by  a  moat, 
one  hundred  feet  wide  and  twelve  feet  deep. 
Five  bridges  also  lead  from  five  of  the  gateways. 
The  moat  supplies  drinking  water  for  the  city 
and  is  covered  with  the  purple  lotus  blossom. 
Its  width  and  extent  make  it  a  characteristic 
feature  of  Mandalay.  Roads  run  parallel  with 
the  walls  and  lead  to  the  entrance  of  the  palace 
gardens,  once  very  beautiful. 

The  palace  is  a  square  of  twenty  or  more 
buildings,  built  of  teak,  painted  red,  and  covered 
originally  with  gold  leaf.  The  roofs  have  layers 
of  upturned  eaves,  and  the  buildings  are  richly 
decorated  with  colored  ornamentation,  while 
the  worn  gilding  and  faded  reds  are  blended  in 
the  peculiar  shading  which  time  alone  can  give. 
There  are  many  audience  rooms,  these  usually 
furnished  with  elaborately  decorated  thrones, 
as  is  also  the  audience  room  in  the  beautiful 
adjacent  palace  of  the  Queen;  her  throne  and 
the  King's  great  throve  in  the  principal  audience 
room  under  the  lofty  cupola  (called  pyathat, 
and  termed  by  the  people  the  ''Centre  of  the 
Universe  ")  are  especially  imposing  and  rich  in 
decoration.      On    either   side    of   this    audience 


100    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

chamber  are  large  audience  rooms;  these  were 
used  for  some  time  after  the  British  occupation 
as  a  church  for  the  soldiers,  and  the  Queen's 
palace  was  turned  into  a  resting  place  for  the 
Upper  Burma  Club;  now  both  the  church  and 
the  club  have  appropriate  edifices  of  their  own. 
Between  two  of  the  principal  rooms  is  a  screen, 
utilized  as  a  wall  and  panelled  in  glass,  mosaic, 
and  mirrors,  which  is  very  effective  and  reminds 
one  of  the  glass  room  in  the  palace  at  Amber. 

From  the  high  hill  at  Mandalay,  one  may  gain 
an  excellent  general  view  of  the  many  pagodas 
and  monasteries  in  which  the  city  abounds; 
for  this  is  verily  the  land  of  the  pagoda.  The 
most  beautiful  of  all,  called  the  Incomparable, 
was  destroyed  by  fire.  One  of  great  interest 
was  built  by  Mindon  Min,  and  called  the 
Kuthodau,  or,  more  generally,  the  450  Pagodas, 
but  there  are  said  to  be  seven  hundred  and 
twenty-nine  cupolas  surrounding  the  great  cen- 
tral pagoda,  each  containing  an  alabaster  slab 
upon  which  are  engraved  some  texts  of  Buddha 
taken  from  the  Pali  Bible,  the  King  thinking  thus 
to  perpetuate  tliem,  —  the  whole  surrounded  by 
a  wall,  in  which  are  built  two  richly  decorated 
gates. 

Situated  very  near  the  so-termed  450  Pagodas 
is  a  group  of  attractive  pagodas  in  carved  wood 
and  plaster  of  different  designs.  In  the  centre 
is  an  unfinished  marble  pagoda,  called  Kyank 


^^ 


^ 


o 


THE   ARAKAN   PAGODA  101 

taw  Gyi,  which  contains  a  huge  attractive  figure 
of  Buddha,  twenty-five  feet  high. 

On  the  same  morning  we  visited  the  glass 
monastery  which  once  on  a  time  had  been  very 
imposing.  Here  we  saw  the  Bishop  and  a  number 
of  novice  priests  receiving  instruction,  taking, 
I  imagine,  a  kind  of  postgraduate  course.  All 
were  most  affable  and  seemed  happy,  as  does 
every  one  in  Burma.  At  this  monastery  two 
of  our  party  were  given  copies  of  a  portion  of  the 
Burmese  Bible. 

Monasteries  are  also  very  prominent  in  Burma, 
and  they  are  usually  boys'  schools,  both  for  young 
and  adult  people. 

In  the  afternoon  we  visited  the  great  Arakan 
Pagoda,  a  shrine  which  pilgrims  of  the  Buddhist 
faith  frequent  from  all  over  the  world.  It  is 
built  in  the  form  of  a  square  tower,  rising  in  a 
series  of  terraces,  growing  smaller  and  ending 
in  a  finial  at  the  summit.  There  are  also  battle- 
ments with  finials  capping  the  top.  The  whole 
is  gilded  and  is  very  magnificent  in  appearance, 
even  to  the  gilded  figure  of  Buddha,  which 
occupies  the  principal  throne.  The  day  we  were 
there,  the  throne  was  surrounded  by  worshippers, 
and  the  long  passages  leading  from  the  pagoda 
to  it  were  densely  thronged.  There  are  four 
smaller  passages,  each  being  filled  with  stalls 
where  is  displayed  almost  every  conceivable 
article,  even  to  fruit  and  flowers.     Near  one  of 

15 


102    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

the  passages  are  two  large  tanks  filled  with 
grayish  water  where  are  kept  the  sacred  turtles. 
The  turtles  were  fed  while  we  were  present  and 
seemed  very  tame.  In  the  adjacent  enclosure 
we  saw  many  large  bells  of  graduated  size,  for 
which  Burma  is  famous.  In  an  enclosure 
young  men  were  playing  the  game  of  football, 
called  ''Chinlon,"  in  that  country,  which  means 
''round  basket,"  the  ball  being  about  six  inches 
in  diameter.  The  players  stand  in  a  circle  a  few 
feet  apart.  The  ball  is  thrown  by  one,  and  the 
player  nearest  to  whom  it  falls  kicks  it  in  the 
air,  and  attempts  to  repeat  this  feat  several 
times  in  order  to  keep  the  ball  up,  but  failing  to 
do  so,  the  next  player  gains  possession  and 
throws  it,  and  so  on. 

The  visit  to  the  Quee?i's  Golden  Monastery 
was  peculiarly  interesting.  It  is  a  fine  specimen 
of  native  architecture,  made  of  elaborately 
carved  teakwood,  finely  gilded,  but  showing  the 
marks  of  age.  In  the  large  central  room,  from 
which  leads  a  smaller  room  separated  only  by 
columns,  the  so-called  golden  image  of  Buddha 
(also  bejewelled)  rests  on  a  raised  dais,  and  in 
front  is  a  long  table  containing  a  great  variety 
of  votive  offerings  to  the  deity  from  a  widely 
scattered  circle  of  believers.  The  columns 
surrounding  these  rooms  were  profusely  deco- 
rated with  glass  ornamentation,  and  the  effect 
was  startling.     The  Bishop  in  his  robe  of  yellow 


5t 


I 


THE   GOLDEN    MONASTERY      103 

silk  —  the  color  of  the  Buddhist  priesthood  — 
was  gracious,  and  the  young  priests  very  jolly. 
We  received  several  presents  of  long  narrow 
books  written  on  palm-leaf,  the  text  being  a 
translation  in  modern  Burmese  from  the  old 
Pali  Bible.  It  is  unnecessary  to  add  that  we 
left  compensation,  the  sale  of  said  books  being 
forbidden ;  hence  such  is  the  way  of  evading  the 
law  ! 

This  monastery  contained,  like  the  Silver 
Monastery,  a  school  for  children.  On  our 
departure,  an  interesting  little  episode  occurred. 
A  young  priest  draped  his  long  yellow  robe 
around  one  of  the  gentlemen,  in  veritable 
Roman  toga  style,  the  right  arm  and  shoulder 
being  exposed.  Then  one  of  the  party  took  a 
photograph,  promising  to  send  a  copy  to  the 
monastery. 

The  support  of  the  Buddhist  monasteries 
depends  on  charity,  and  a  procession  of  priests 
from  each  monastery  goes  about  with  mendicant 
bowls  or  baskets,  each  morning  soliciting  food 
and  fruit,  everything  being  placed  in  one  re- 
ceptacle. Rice,  however,  is  the  principal 
contribution. 

We  also  visited  tjie  Aindaw-Yah  Pagoda,  the 
oldest  in  Mandalay.  This  is  entirely  gilt,  from 
base  to  spire,  and  presents  an  imposing  appear- 
ance. It  is  surrounded  by  a  large  square  or 
platform  on  which  are  placed  various  other 
shrines  containing  small  images  of  Buddha. 


104    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

The  cause  of  there  being  so  many  pagodas  in 
Burma  is  that  thereby  the  builder  gains  renown 
and  paves  the  way  for  greater  happiness  in  a 
future  state.  For  the  above  reason  the  pagoda 
is  seldom  repaired.  The  builder  desires  to  be 
approached  as  **the  builder  of  a  pagoda,"  and 
invariably  addresses  his  wife  as  ''O  wife  of  a 
pagoda  builder."  Architecturally  the  pagoda, 
in  general,  may  be  described  as  having  a  spire, 
massive  throughout,  rising  from  a  circular, 
square,  or  octagonal  base,  in  a  succession  of 
tiers  or  circles,  of  which  the  upper  is  always 
narrower  than  the  one  beneath  it. 

The  principal  industry  of  Mandalay  is  the 
weaving  of  silk,  for  which  it  is  very  celebrated, 
and  a  visit  to  the  bazar  was  most  interesting. 
Unlike  the  bazars  previously  described,  this 
was  a  large,  high  building,  filled  with  aisles  and 
furnished  with  long  tables,  at  the  back  of  which 
sat  the  saleswomen;  all  the  business  of  the 
bazar  is  carried  on  by  women.  There  was  a 
great  variety  of  silk  weaving  of  every  conceivable 
shape  and  style,  the  sarong  being  prominent. 
This  is  a  long  colored  garment  which  the  women 
of  Burma  wear  pinned  tightly  around  them 
below  the  waist,  unlike  the  fuller  skirt  we  had 
seen  in  India,  the  dress  being  completed  by  a 
short,  loose  jacket  which  shows  a  white  under- 
vest  and  a  long,  wide  sash.  The  market  was 
also  very  interesting,  in  a  small  building  next  or 
adjoining  the  silk  bazar. 


I 


THE   CONTENTED   BURMESE     105 

It  may  be  well  to  speak  here  of  the  happy, 
contented,  pleasure-loving  Burmese  women.  In- 
deed, their  condition  could  have  been  envied  a 
few  years  ago,  even  in  a  portion  of  our  own 
United  States,  as  they  can  hold  property  in 
their  own  right  and  are  entitled  to  their  earn- 
ings. This  causes  them  to  be  very  industrious 
as  well  as  executive.  It  is  possible  that  the 
sunny  aspect  of  Nature  may  partly  be  responsi- 
ble for  their  joyous  appearance,  as  it  certainly 
causes  the  men  to  be  very  indolent  and  quite 
willing  that  their  wives  should  carry  on  their 
business,  provided  they  are  left  undisturbed  to 
enjoy  life  in  their  own  way. 

The  women  are  very  fond  of  dress,  and,  un- 
like the  women  of  India,  wear  only  real  jewelry ; 
travellers  see  a  profusion  of  solitaire  diamond 
rings,  every  one  of  which  is  said  to  be  genuine. 

There  is  no  caste  in  Burma  and  no  division 
of  class;  in  the  olden  time  any  one  might  be- 
come a  prince  or  a  prime  minister  if  he  had  the 
ability  to  rise.  There  is  little  expression  of  art 
or  literature,  the  life  being  very  simple.  The 
people  are  indeed  children  of  Nature,  and  the 
only  expression  of  taste  is  to  be  found  in  their 
pagodas  and  mona.^teries.  Their  silver  work 
and  wood  carving  are  fine.  The  houses  in  the 
country  are  usually  built  of  bamboo,  raised 
from  the  ground  on  poles,  four  to  six  feet,  as 
protection   against    floods,    reptiles,    and    other 


106    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

mishaps.  The  floor  usually  consists  of  split 
bamboo,  the  thatched  roof  of  elephant  grass. 
The  sides  of  the  house  are  of  bamboo,  opening 
to  the  street  on  verandas.  Some  have  second 
stories.  Around  these  homes  birds  and  animals 
and  naked  children  are  everywhere  to  be  seen. 

Among  the  incidents  of  our  stay  at  Mandalay 
I  remember  a  native  dance,  called  "Pwe," 
given  one  evening  in  front  of  the  hotel.  This 
was  a  little  on  the  order  of  a  vaudeville,  con- 
sisting of  a  mixture  of  talk,  song,  and  dance. 
The  performers  were  arranged  on  a  high 
platform.  The  women  were  dressed  in  the  ex- 
treme of  Burmese  fashion,  having  long  pink 
silk  sarongs  tightly  drawn  around  them,  jackets 
and  long  sashes,  and  with  flowers  in  the  hair. 
They  appeared  in  the  dancing  and  the  singing, 
while  the  two  men  furnished  the  dialogue. 
The  music  was  anything  but  melodious,  and 
the  talking  we  could  not  understand;  but  from 
the  applause  of  the  large  number  of  spectators 
gathered  around,  we  assumed,  however,  that 
it  was  funny.  The  movement  of  the  dance  was 
very  slow  and  measured,  as  had  been  all  the 
dancing  we  had  witnessed  in  the  Orient.  The 
effect  was  rather  spectacular,  seen  in  a  dim 
light,  with  trees  for  a  background.  Whenever 
a  dance  of  this  kind  occurs,  it  soon  gets  noised 
about,  and  large  gatherings  of  people  arrive, 
and   they  group   themselves   around,  sitting  al- 


A   MODEL   STEAMER  107 

ways  on  the  ground  and  observing  a  profound 
silence  except  when  they  applaud. 

Near  our  hotel  was  an  English  Wesleyan  mis- 
sion, directed  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bestol.  A  friend 
and  I  visited  it,  and  found  it  very  interest- 
ing and  cheerful,  —  the  home  of  the  missionaries, 
and  the  assistant  teachers  who  supervised  the 
boys'  and  girls'  school,  and  the  dormitories. 
They  seemed  to  be  doing  a  very  good  work. 
On  the  occasion  of  our  first  call,  they  had  all 
gone  on  a  picnic,  quite  after  our  usual  Sunday- 
school  fashion.  We  also  heard  of  other  missions 
of  merit. 

At  5  p.  M.  we  left  our  hotel  for  the  landing 
of  the  Irrawaddy  Flotilla  Company  to  pass  the 
night  on  the  steamer  Siam.  We  were  now  on 
a  model  river  vessel  for  three  days.  The 
scenery  was  varied  and  picturesque.  At  points 
from  the  water's  edge  there  were  terraced  slopes 
of  vegetation,  trees  of  many  kinds  and  hues, 
the  dark  green  foliage  alternating  with  the  light 
green  of  the  graceful  bamboo,  while  creepers 
and  flowers  peeped  out  here  and  there,  also 
clumps  of  toddy  palms  rearing  their  lofty  heads, 
while  the  ever-prevalent  pagoda  glistened  white 
or  golden  through  the  branches.  As  the  steamer 
carried  freight,  occasional  stops  were  made,  and 
this  gave  variety  to  the  scene. 

We  arrived  at  Pakoku  about  4  p.  m.  and  an- 
chored for  the  night.    The  shore  was  lined  with 


108    TRAVELS  IN  THE  FAR  EAST 

piles  of  bags,  boxes,  and  other  usual  accesso- 
ries. Natives  were  seen  in  all  directions  with 
a  new  array  of  articles,  some  bearing  baskets 
suspended  from  bamboo  poles  across  the  shoul- 
ders, while  bullock  carts  and  other  primitive 
vehicles,  together  with  the  variety  of  style  and 
color  of  the  attire  worn  by  the  natives,  made 
a  scene  truly  picturesque.  We  also  stopped  at 
Mirout.  Here  were  mud  volcanoes,  which  some 
of  the  party  visited,  being  carried  there  in  bul- 
lock carts,  and  found  them  rather  interesting, 
the  volcanoes  emitting  mud  instead  of  lava. 

We  arrived  at  a  place  near  old  Pagan  at  four 
in  the  morning,  and  never  can  I  forget  the 
spectacle  presented  from  my  stateroom  window. 
There  was  total  darkness,  save  where  long 
lines  of  natives  with  lanterns,  coming  from  the 
woods  in  every  direction,  were  seen  carry- 
ing boxes,  bales,  and  baskets  of  freight  to  the 
shore.  Once  at  the  landing,  the  rush  and  com- 
motion and  waving  of  lanterns  were  truly  Bur- 
mese. The  next  point  in  our  progress  was  old 
Pagan,  where  we  saw  many  pagodas,  but  we 
were  told  that  there  were  as  many  as  a  thou- 
sand in  the  days  of  her  prosperity. 

On  the  river  we  constantly  passed  shipping  of 
various  kinds,  sometimes  huge  rafts  of  teak- 
wood  propelled  by  natives,  mostly  devoid  of 
attire;  the  peculiar  Burman  paddy  boats  of 
old   Egyptian   style   are   used   for   transporting 


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16. 


RANGOON  109 

unhulled  rice.  A  more  peaceful  trip  cannot  be 
imagined,  and  it  has  been  compared  to  a  pas- 
sage up  the  Nile. 

Prome:  We  arrived  at  Prome  the  evening 
of  January  12th,  but  owing  to  some  hours'  de- 
lay we  were  disappointed  in  not  having  the  ex- 
pected drive  or  visiting  the  celebrated  pagoda. 
We  took  the  night  train  for  Rangoon  and  were 
so  fortunate  as  to  have  the  de  luxe  cars  again. 

Rangoon  :  We  reached  the  city  early  the  fol- 
lowing morning.  Rangoon  is  located  on  the 
ocean  and  is  furthermore  aided  by  the  Irrawaddy 
River,  which  is  navigable  for  over  nine  hundred 
miles.  It  has  an  unrivalled  location  for  future 
growth  and  permanence.  Rangoon's  increase 
has  been  phenomenal  for  this  latitude;  in  1852 
it  was  a  small  fishing  village;  in  1904  the  in- 
habitants numbered  two  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand,  and  there  has  since  been  a  marked 
increase.  The  population  is  divided  into  Bur- 
mese, Hindus,  Mohammedans,  and  Christians, 
with  a  sprinkling  of  other  nationalities,  —  a 
variety  which  is  distinctly  recognized  in  the 
life  of  the  city.  It'  has  a  large  export  trade  in 
rice,  lumber,  and  oil,  and  a  visit  to  one  of  the 
factories  is  almost  always  included  by  tourists. 

The  shipping  at  Rangoon  presents  a  pic- 
turesque variety,  as  ocean  steamers,  river  steam- 


no    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

ers,  paddy  boats,  and  quaint  smaller  vessels 
are  always  in  evidence.  The  civil  and  muni- 
cipal buildings  do  not,  however,  compare  with 
those  of  such  rival  cities  in  India  as  Bombay, 
Calcutta,  and  Madras.  The  bazars  in  the 
European  quarter  are  unusually  fine,  and  it  was 
a  pleasure  to  visit  them,  silks,  curios,  and 
silver  work  being  well  displayed.  In  the  native 
quarter  those  of  the  inhabitants  to  be  seen  on 
the  street  (previously  described)  had  no  dis- 
tinctive character,  but  the  native  silk  bazars 
were  mostly  in  a  large,  low,  poorly  lighted 
building,  divided  into  aisles.  A  visit  to  this 
neighborhood  showed  the  happy-go-lucky  fea- 
tures noticed  in  Mandalay. 

Indeed,  life  in  Burma  is  like  a  comic  opera. 
I  realized  this  one  morning  when  going  about 
simply  to  be  amused.  The  market  and  pave- 
ments were  crowded  with  persons  of  different 
nationalities,  —  the  pineapple  man  with  his 
tray  of  fruit,  the  Burmese  girl  with  her  pretty 
stall  of  cigars,  the  Hindu  seller  of  betel,  the 
Chinaman  under  his  swaying  burden  of  cooked 
meats  and  strange  luxuries,  the  vermicelli  man, 
the  Indian  confectioner  with  his  silver-coated 
pyramids  of  sago  and  cream.  It  is  of  all  crowds 
the  most  cosmopolitan.  Here  is  the  long- 
coated  Persian  with  his  air  of  breeding  and 
dignity,  jostled  by  the  naked  coolie  with  rings 
in  his  nose.     The  lady  beauty  of  Japan  dashes 


^ 

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THE   SHWE   DAGON  PAGODA     111 

by  in  her  jinrikisha  drawn  by  a  Chinese  eooUe, 
and  the  exclusive  Brahman  finds  himself  shoulder 
to  shoulder  with  the  laughing  daughter  of  the 
soil  who  has  never  heard  of  caste. 

-♦- 

Shwe  Dagon:  The  centre  of  attraction  in 
Rangoon,  however,  is  the  Shwe  Dagon  Pagoda, 
which  is  famous  wherever  the  Buddhist  religion 
prevails;  it  is  situated  on  an  eminence,  one 
hundred  and  sixty-six  feet  above  the  sea-level 
and  towering  up  three  hundred  and  sixty-eight 
feet.  It  is  a  very  imposing  structure,  exceed- 
ing in  height  even  St.  Paul's  Cathedral  in  Lon- 
don. This  proportion  gives  it  an  air  of  dignity 
and  repose,  while  its  gilded  surface  from  base 
to  finial  causes  it  to  be  truly  magnificent. 

The  structure  has  no  interior,  being  built 
solidly  of  brick  over  a  relic  chamber;  hence 
its  platform  with  a  circumference  of  about 
fourteen  hundred  feet  is  the  place  for  worship 
and  also  for  many  small  pagodas.  The  great 
pagoda  is  of  conical  shape  and  is  divided  into 
twelve  parts,  and  of  these  the  ti,  or  umbrella, 
valued  at  c£60,000,  is  the  most  costly  and  re- 
markable, and  was  the  gift  of  King  Mindon,  the 
next  to  the  last  king  of  Burma.  While  from  its 
great  height  it  is  scarcely  visible,  it  is  really 
thirteen  and  one-half  feet  high  and  is  hung  with 
about  fifteen  hundred  bells,  many  of  them  gold. 
When  heard  at  night,  the  effect  is  magical. 


112    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

The  southern  entrance  has  a  pair  of  gryphons, 
and  beyond  them  is  the  entrance  arch,  which  is 
inferior  to  the  rest  of  the  edifice.  Here  may  be 
seen  venders  of  many  kinds,  selHng  gold  leaf 
(which  is  used  by  pilgrims  on  the  surface  of  the 
pagoda),  books,  papers,  toys,  and  offerings  to 
place  on  the  altar;  and  the  scene  around  the 
stalls  is  instinct  with  life  and  gayety.  Brightly 
dressed  women  and  children,  coquettish  girls, 
nuns,  and  beggars  all  assemble  here. 

There  are  four  flights  of  stairs,  east,  west, 
north,  and  south,  leading  up  to  the  platform; 
the  southern  one  being  mostly  used,  as  it  looks 
down  upon  the  thoroughfare.  The  western 
stairs  have  been  closed  to  worshippers,  as  the 
place  is  now  a  British  fortress. 

It  is  impossible  to  describe  the  many  objects 
of  interest  on  this  immense  platform.  Four 
chapels  at  the  foot  of  the  pagoda  are  guarded 
by  colossal  figures  of  the  sitting  Buddha,  and  in 
the  farthest  recess,  in  a  niche,  is  a  small  Buddha, 
the  gilding  of  which  is  discolored  by  the  smoke 
from  many  thousands  of  tapers  and  candles. 

On  each  side  of  the  pagoda  are  chapels  with 
tapering  roofs  and  upturned  eaves,  and  within 
them  are  seated  images  of  the  Buddha  covered 
with  gold.  These  attract  large  numbers  of 
worshippers,  and  with  the  myriad  waxen  tapers 
produce  an  impressive  effect. 

The   chapels   are   decorated   with   screens   of 


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THE   GILDED   SULE  113 

fine  wood  carving.  The  coloring  is  also  very 
striking,  the  outside  being  of  vermilion  and 
gold,  the  inside  of  green,  gold,  and  purple. 

Hundreds  of  Buddhas  of  various  sizes  are  seen 
in  all  directions,  sitting,  standing,  and  reclining ; 
and  on  the  outer  edge  of  the  platform  are  small 
pagodas,  each  with  its  ti,  or  umbrella,  and  also 
holding  its  usual  offerings  of  fruit,  flowers,  or 
small  gifts.  Seen  at  twilight  and  as  the  candles 
are  being  lighted,  it  is  almost  bewildering,  even 
uncanny,  as  I  found  one  evening  when  there 
alone  with  my  guide,  the  renowned  Abraham, 
who,  even  though  a  rigid  Mohammedan,  assumed 
a  devout  attitude. 

Another  prominent  pagoda  is  the  gilded  Sule. 
This  is  situated  quite  in  the  heart  of  things,  near 
the  Strand,  and  is  graceful  in  proportions.  The 
platform  also  contains  many  interesting  shrines. 
A  fine  distant  view  of  the  Sule  is  obtained  from 
Hytche  Square. 

There  are  many  monasteries  (virtually  schools 
for  boys),  the  finest  being  at  a  suburb  called 
Kemmendine,  which  is  also  a  centre  for  the 
manufacture  of  kalagas,  or  blankets,  usually  red 
with  figures  in  applique.  We  enjoyed  several 
pleasant  drives  while  in  Rangoon,  the  favorite 
one  being  to  Royal  Lake  and  through  Dal- 
housie  Park ;  if  taken  in  the  late  afternoon,  one 
will  see  a  gayly  dressed,  fashionable  throng, 
either  driving  or  walking.     I  had  met  Mr.  and 


114    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

Mrs.  W.  T.  Graham  of  the  Burma  Civil  Service 
on  the  steamer  from  Port  Said  to  Bombay,  and 
I  was  indebted  to  them  for  two  drives,  —  one 
to  their  country  home,  which  was  an  attractive 
two-storied  bungalow  with  galleries  and  low 
windows  above  and  below,  quite  unlike  the 
thatched  houses  seen  in  Upper  Burma.  There 
were  contrasts  in  the  general  dress  and  appear- 
ance of  the  natives ;  pink  was,  however,  still 
the  prevailing  color  in  the  sarongs,  sashes,  and 
jackets  of  the  women,  and  the  long  hair  of  the 
men  was  the  custom.  The  intermarriage  be- 
tween Burmese  women  and  Chinamen  was  said 
to  be  very  frequent,  some  of  the  women  pre- 
ferring the  hard-working  executive  Chinamen 
to  the  indolent  Burmese.  And,  according  to  the 
opinion  of  a  gentleman  I  met  later,  who  had 
made  a  study  of  the  subject,  the  intermarriage  of 
the  ever-prevalent  Chinamen  with  races  of  the 
Orient,  where  caste  does  not  prevent,  is  in  time 
going  to  work  a  great  racial  revolution. 

One  morning  we  rose  at  5  a.  m.  for  an  early 
excursion  to  see  elephants  haul  teak  from  the 
river-bank  to  higher  ground,  where  the  logs  would 
dry  before  transference  to  the  sawmills.  We 
went  at  this  time  so  as  to  avoid  the  heat,  and 
also  because  the  elephants  rest  after  11  a.  m. 
The  illustration  will  show  the  process,  but  it 
was  an  amusing  sight  to  see  five  ponderous  ani- 
mals moving  slowly  along,  propelling  the  logs 


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HALF-RUINED   TEMPLES  115 

with  their  trunks,  and  ever  and  anon  trumpeting ; 
not  being  versed  in  elephant  expression,  I  was 
left  in  doubt  as  to  whether  the  sound  meant  joy 
or  sorrow.  We  visited  another  similar  scene 
near  a  large  sawmill  which  we  explored  under 
the  leadership  of  the  manager. 

A  trip  to  a  rice-mill  had  been  spoken  of, 
but,  not  having  breakfasted,  we  preferred  to  re- 
turn to  the  hotel.  Tea  and  toast  were  served 
at  rising,  if  one  desired  it,  during  our  entire 
**Tour."  Another  novel  excursion  was  a  long 
drive  to  some  half-ruined  Buddhist  temples,  a 
monastery,  and  buildings  assigned  to  the  pe- 
culiar rites  which  precede  the  cremation  of 
a  Buddhist  priest;  two  bodies  were  seen  in 
curious-looking  receptacles,  awaiting  the  culmi- 
nation of  events. 

We  were  disappointed  in  not  seeing  a  '*cere- 
mony,"  but  were  told  to  come  in  the  evening 
and  witness  a  temple  dance,  and,  I  believe,  also 
a  semi-dramatic  ceremony.  Some  of  the  party 
did  so,  but  I  remained  in  the  hotel  to  w  rite  letters, 
as  we  were  to  leave  the  following  morning. 

I  have  alluded  to  Abraham,  our  guide  in 
Burma,  as  a  devout  Mohammedan,  but  he  had 
numerous  characteristics  which  rather  caused 
distrust,  one  of  them  being  his  extreme  deference 
to  the  ladies  of  the  party,  when  according  to  the 
tenets  of  his  religion  we  were  all  "  fiends  incar- 
nate";   the  other  was  his  apparent  abject  ac- 


116    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

ceptance  of  all  Buddhist  ceremonies,  which  we 
knew  at  heart  he  detested.  However,  ** guides" 
became  a  prolific  study,  as  time  went  on. 

The  weather  had  been  hot  in  Rangoon;  so, 
in  spite  of  our  pleasant  Burman  experiences  and 
the  joyousness  of  things  in  general,  we  hailed 
the  steamer  voyage  as  affording  some  measure 
of  relief.  We  sailed  at  7  a.  m.  on  January  17th, 
on  the  steamer  Palmicotta,  for  a  voyage  of  four 
days  to  Madras.  As  usual,  nothing  occurred 
to  mar  the  even  tenor  of  our  way ;  the  ship  was 
comfortable,  the  passengers  affable,  and  the  sea 
on  good  behavior. 

-♦- 

Madras,  January  21st:  We  arrived  at  Madras 
early  on  the  morning  of  January  21st.  The 
view  of  the  city  from  the  pier  was  disappointing, 
but  the  drive  of  about  two  miles  to  the  Hotel 
Conemara  showed  much  natural  beauty,  the 
trees  in  particular  being  very  fine.  Hot  weather 
met  us  at  Madras,  but  as  it  is  a  city  of  magnifi- 
cent distances,  driving  was  a  necessity,  and 
hence  less  exertion  was  required.  In  the  park 
and  at  the  Botanical  Gardens  we  saw  more 
natural  beauty  and  took  the  long  drive  to  the 
sea  front,  where  the  fashionable  people  of  the 
city  of  Marina  go  in  large  numbers,  and  which 
leads  past  fine  municipal  buildings,  the  college, 
and  other  places  of  importance.  St.  George's 
Church  is  pleasing,  with  its  quota  of  memorial 


cu 


THE   RIDE   TO   TANJORE         117 

statues,  and  the  close  is  very  attractive,  remind- 
ing one  of  England.  The  drive  through  the 
native  quarter,  called  Black  Town,  presented 
unusual  features.  The  fort  and  parks  were 
visited,  as  were  also  some  rather  attractive 
bazars.  The  museum  is  interesting  from  an 
historical  standpoint  and  has  many  statues  and 
bas-reliefs,  some  relating  to  Prince  Gautama 
and  some  to  Hindu  gods;  there  are  also  relics 
of  saints.  It  is  particularly  rich  in  specimens 
of  armor  and  jewelled  swords. 

Madras  seems  quite  as  unlike  the  cities  of 
Northern  India  as  does  Rangoon,  and  com- 
paratively few  of  the  thousands  of  tourists  who 
frequent  Northern  India  ever  visit  Southern 
India,  a  great  distinction  between  the  two  being 
made.  It  is,  however,  conveniently  near  the 
great  Seven  Pagodas,  which  we  did  not  visit,  and 
is  the  gateway  to  the  famous  Dravidian  temples 
which  presented  much  interest. 

We  left  early  in  the  afternoon  in  order  to  visit 
Tanjore,  Trichinopoly,  and  Madura,  and  for 
two  days  sleeping-cars  were  to  be  our  home. 
There  are  no  hotels  in  these  cities,  the  wonderful 
temples  serving  as  a  substitute,  while  the  English 
railway  restaurant  afforded  us  a  certain  amount 
of  sustenance.  The  ride  to  Tanjore  was  through 
a  lovely  country  with  beautiful  palms,  groves  of 
vari-hued  trees,  and  occasionally  a  tangle  of 
vines. 


118    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

Tanjore  :  On  our  arrival  at  Tan j ore  in  the 
afternoon  we  went  directly  to  the  forts  which 
enclose  the  temple,  palace,  and  gopuras.  The 
temple  is  in  the  little  fort.  The  gopuras  claim 
first  attention.  They  are  really  gateways,  a 
feature  peculiar. to  Southern  India.  They  were 
intended  as  a  fortification  to  protect  the  temples 
from  foreign  invaders,  and  are  imposing  in  size 
and  structure  —  towering  up  (some  nine  stories 
high)  course  after  course,  and  literally  covered 
with  carvings  of  animals  and  gods,  all  colored 
in  red  and  gold.  We  passed  through  a  gopura 
ninety  feet  high,  next  through  a  passage  one 
hundred  and  seventy  feet  long,  then  through  a 
small  gopura,  when  we  arrived  at  the  large 
outer  enclosure  of  the  temple,  four  hundred  and 
fifty  by  eight  hundred  feet.  This  is  further  sur- 
rounded by  cloisters  and  open  to  outsiders,  who 
are  not,  however,  permitted  to  enter  the  great 
temple  of  the  adjacent  halls.  But  even  at  a 
distance  we  could  admire  their  barbaric  splendor. 

We  were  also  entertained  by  the  gorgeous 
temple  peacock  (considered  sacred) ,  of  enormous 
size,  which,  with  outstretched  tail,  posed  for  us 
with  as  much  evident  vanity  as  a  coquettish  girl. 
There  are  smaller  shrines  and  temples  distributed 
about  the  great  enclosure,  and  in  one  temple  is 
an  immense  bronze  bull.  The  tower  of  the  great 
temple  is  only  thirty-eight  feet  lower  than  the 
Kutub  Minar  described   in   "Old  Delhi."     In 


f 


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AN  EXQUISITE   TEMPLE         119 

the  northwest  corner  of  the  enclosure  is  an 
exquisite  small  temple  called  Siva  Manya 
and  dedicated  to  the  son  of  Siva.  It  has  a 
tower  fifty  feet  high  and  a  base  forty  feet  square, 
adorned  with  pillars,  and  these  are  continued 
along  another  cloister,  fifty  feet  long.  Mr. 
Ferguson  writes:  "It  is  as  exquisite  a  piece  of 
decorative  architecture  as  is  to  be  found  in 
Southern  India."  The  great  fort  seems  like  a 
continuation  of  the  small  one,  and  in  it  are 
situated  the  palace  and  Schwartz  Church. 

The  palace  of  the  Princess  of  Tanjore  is  an 
immense  structure  and  was  built  about  1550  a.  d. 
It  has  no  merit  architecturally,  but  possesses 
certain  features  of  interest;  one  of  these  is  a 
large  Durbar  room  which  contains  bas-reliefs 
on  the  wall,  and  a  platform  of  black  granite, 
on  which  stands  a  white  marble  statue  by  Flax- 
man  of  Raja  Shah  Foji,  who  was  a  pupil  of 
Flaxman  and  who  was  next  to  the  last  Raja. 
There  are  also  to  be  found  here  portraits  of  the 
various  members  of  the  royal  family  and  a  bust 
of  Lord  Nelson.  In  addition,  we  came  across 
an  unusual  library  for  India,  dating  from  the 
end  of  the  sixteenth  century,  and  containing 
eighteen  thousand,  Sanskrit  manuscripts,  one 
half  of  them  written  on  palm  leaves.  Our 
English  guide  showed  us  a  portion  of  the  palace 
occupied  by  two  ladies,  relatives  of  the  last 
Raja,  this  being  a  courtesy  extended  to  them 


120    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

by  the  English  Government  and  which  ceases 
with  their  death.  The  Schwartz  Church  dates 
from  1770  a.  d.,  and  the  aged  missionary  is 
immortaHzed  in  a  monument  designed  by  Flax- 
man,  which  contains  eight  figures  beside  the 
reclining  one. 

The  Tanjore  and  Trichinopoly  districts  were 
the  scene  of  the  earliest  work  of  the  Protestant 
missionaries  in  India,  and  the  Roman  Catholic 
missionaries  antedated  them  by  half  a  century. 
Churches  of  these  faiths  are  scattered  through 
this  and  the  adjoining  districts.  We  had  a  late 
luncheon  in  the  restaurant  of  the  railway  station 
and  then  repaired  to  the  train.  I  have  great 
dislike  for  a  sleeping-car,  so  it  can  be  imagined 
that  the  visit  to  the  Dravidian  temples  was  made 
under  difficulties.  We  proceeded  to  Trichino- 
poly, arriving  there  early  and  having  a  long  day 
before  us. 

Trichinopoly:  Trichinopoly,  like  Tanjore, 
has  a  history  full  of  vicissitudes,  in  which  the 
French  and  that  picturesque  figure,  Lord  Clive, 
appear.  The  temple  of  Sri  Ranngam  is  situated 
a  mile  from  the  bridge  and  three  miles  from  the 
fort,  the  entrance  being  through  a  gopura 
forty-eight  feet  high;  the  sides  of  this  passage, 
one  hundred  feet  long  and  forty-three  feet  high, 
are  richly  ornamented.  The  monoliths  which 
serve  as  pillars  are   forty  feet  high,  and    every 


TEMPLE   OF   SRI   RANNGAM     121 

detail  is  on  a  gigantic  scale;  this  is  the  largest 
Hindu  temple  in  India.  The  outer  enclosure 
alone  is  twenty-four  hundred  and  seventy-five  by 
twenty-eight  hundred  and  eighty  feet,  and  has 
its  elephant,  but  it  wears  a  commercial  aspect 
(being  filled  with  bazars)  which  detracts  from  the 
dignity  of  the  scene.  As  we  penetrated  to  the 
interior  temple,  the  buildings  diminished  in 
size  and  importance;  the  gopuras,  however,  are 
imposing  (there  are  nine  in  all),  with  their 
profuse  decoration,  all  being  painted  and  all 
varying   in   size. 

In  the  court  around  the  central  enclosure  is  a 
hall  of  about  one  thousand  pillars;  these  are  of 
granite,  eighteen  feet  in  height.  On  one  side  the 
pillars  represent  men  astride  rearing  horses, 
the  horses'  feet  being  supported  by  the  shields 
of  men  on  foot  beside  them.  This  temple  was 
built  about  700  b.  c.  The  tanks  are  of  interest 
in  Trichinopoly,  but  less  so  than  in  Madura. 

The  great  rock  is  the  most  noticeable  feature, 
tunnelled  out  of  which  is  a  circular  staircase  with 
a  gateway  leading  to  interior  temples,  and  on  the 
sides  of  this  passage  are  pillars  with  peculiar 
capitals  which  seem  to  indicate  Jain  origin. 
The  way  upward  ,was  dimly  lighted,  and  all 
manner  of  accidents  seemed  possible.  In  fact, 
there  was  a  very  serious  accident  in  1849,  when 
five  hundred  persons  were  killed.  At  one  landing 
there  was  a  school  of  small  boys;    at  another, 

18 


122    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

there  were  groups  of  worshippers  making  their 
descent;  turning  to  the  left,  we  saw  a  small 
temple  of  Siva.  In  the  dim  light  everything 
seemed  weird  and  unreal.  The  view  from  the 
top  of  the  rock  was  far-reaching,  gopuras  and 
temples  gleaming  through  the  green  foliage. 
There  were  sacred  elephants  here,  as  at  Tan- 
jore,  standing  in  the  usual  receptive  attitude; 
for  them  small  coins  were  more  acceptable  than 
food,  showing  how  adroitly  they  had  been 
trained. 

Madura:  Another  very  early  arrival  at 
Madura,  and  the  programme  of  the  day  before 
was  repeated.  Although  Madura  is  a  large  place, 
the  temples,  gopuras,  and  palaces  are  the  chief 
attraction.  The  famous  Palace  of  Tirumala 
Nayak  is  splendid  in  its  appointments,  having 
large,  airy  halls  and  audience  rooms  (similar  to 
the  Diwan-i-Khas  of  Delhi  and  Agra)  with 
richly  decorated  ceilings,  and  the  bedchamber  is 
resplendent  with  carving  and  gilding.  There  is 
a  fine  view  from  the  roof  of  the  great  temple. 
The  nine  gopuras  are  tall,  massive,  and  barbaric 
in  their  decorations,  which  consist  of  horses, 
lions,  elephants,  gods  and  goddesses.  The  great 
shrines  of  Siva  and  his  consort  are  almost  in- 
terminable in  their  extent,  and  there  is  a  long 
vestibule  or  hall  divided  into  aisles  by  carved 
columns.      This   formed  a  reception    room    for 


Entrance  to  the  Madura  Temple 


HALL  OF  A  THOUSAND  PILLARS    123 

the  King  in  early  times,  a  great  contrast  to  the 
present  scene  of  tumultuous  venders  with  almost 
every  variety  of  goods,  who  are  more  noisy  than 
their  brothers  of  North  India. 

Within  the  temple  there  are  many  shrines  and 
many  Tamil  worshippers ;  high-caste  Brahmans 
are  also  there  to  minister  to  the  supposed  wants 
of  the  higher  gods.  Galleries  led  us  out  to  still 
other  shrines,  where  are  installed  additional 
images  of  gods,  who  on  fete  days  are  carried 
about  in  gold  and  silver  chariots  of  untold  value. 
All  the  most  beautiful  portions  of  the  temple  as  it 
now  stands  were  built  by  Tirumala  Nayak,  the 
great  Madura  ruler  of  modern  times,  who  as- 
cended the  throne  in  1623  and  reigned  thirty- 
six  years. 

One  of  the  quadrangles  opens  out  on  a  tank. 
An  arcade  runs  around  the  tank,  and  the  walls 
are  painted  with  representations  of  the  most 
famous  pagodas  in  India.  On  the  north  side  is 
the  belfry  —  strange  to  relate,  an  American  bell 
hangs  therein.  Here  too  is  the  Hall  of  a  Thousand 
Pillars,  and  this  is  even  more  remarkable  than 
the  same-named  hall  at  Trichinopoly,  on  ac- 
count of  the  marvellous  beauty  of  the  construc- 
tion. Near  the  ball  is  the  great  gopura,  and 
opposite  this  is  the  new  gallery,  of  a  magnificent 
plan  but  unfinished,  known  as  Tirumala's  Choul- 
trie.  There  is  so  much  of  interest  and  detail 
connected  with  all  of  these  Dra vidian  temples 


124     TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

that  one  should  plan  to  have  more  time  to 
devote  to  them.  The  cursory  examination  we 
were  afforded  measures  the  disadvantage  of  an 
itinerary.  We  left  after  luncheon  for  Tuticorin, 
and  arrived  there  at  5  p.  M. 

Tuticorin:  Tuticorin,  on  the  Gulf  of  Ma- 
naar,  is  the  port  of  departure  for  Colombo, 
Ceylon.  We  had  only  a  hurried  glimpse  of  the 
city,  showing  white  buildings,  white  sand,  and 
the  blackest  natives  we  had  yet  seen.  We  in- 
ferred they  were  Tamils.  A  pleasant  night  on 
the  steamer  followed. 

Colombo,  January  25th:  The  morning  of 
January  25th  saw  our  approach  to  the  fine  har- 
bor of  Colombo,  and  we  felt  that  at  last  our 
dream  of  viewing  the  beautiful  island  of  Ceylon 
was  to  be  realized.  Our  first  impression  was 
received  at  the  landing  jetty,  where  it  seemed  as 
if  every  nationality  had  its  representative,  so 
varied  was  the  appearance  of  the  natives,  — 
the  Laskas  from  the  Malay  Peninsula,  the 
Hindus  from  India,  as  well  as  Tamil  coolies, 
Arabs  from  Aden,  Buddhist  priests,  and  Mo- 
hammedans. We  found  excitement  on  our 
arrival  at  the  hotel,  owing  to  the  expected 
appearance  of  the  ex-Empress  Eugenie  and 
her  suite,  as  well  as  Sir  Thomas  Lipton  and 
numerous  other  notable  guests. 


THE    PLEASURES   OF   COLOMBO     125 

The  ride  to  the  hotel,  located  on  the  sea,  had 
shown  us  unusual  luxuriance  of  vegetation  and 
wonderful  trees  both  in  fruit  and  in  blossom. 
This  fact  was  emphasized  by  a  long  afternoon 
drive,  beginning  in  the  native  quarter  with  its 
attendant  bazars  and  ending  with  a  long  country 
tour  for  at  least  an  hour  through  a  forest  of  palms 
of  many  varieties,  the  tall  talipot  towering  high 
—  higher  even  than  the  fruit-laden  cocoanut 
palm,  —  while  bread-fruit  trees,  jack-fruit  trees, 
and  bananas  made  a  pleasing  variety.  A  little 
diversion  occurred  when  a  boy  climbed  a  tall 
cocoanut  palm,  procuring  a  fine  specimen,  and 
opened  it  for  us  to  try.  We  passed  the  Victoria 
Bridge,  which  took  the  place  of  the  bridge  of 
boats,  returning  to  our  hotel  by  a  way  that 
revealed  still  more  tropical  wonders.  The  fine 
Galle  Face  Hotel,  with  its  sense  of  spaciousness 
and  restful  ease,  the  illuminated  grounds,  the 
band,  and  the  dash  of  the  waves  caused  that 
first  Saturday  evening  to  seem  almost  perfection ; 
one  and  all  felt  willing  to  linger  on  indefinitely, 
but,  alas,  the  iron-clad  itinerary  must  be  met, 
and  a  week  in  the  mountains  was  to  follow ! 

Colombo  is  a  fine  place  in  ^hich  to  study 
types,  and  nothing  is  more  peculiar  than  the 
Cingalese  man,  with  his  long  hair  braided  in  a 
knot  at  his  neck,  with  the  broad  shell  comb 
resting  on  his  crown;  on  State  occasions  the 
chief  waiters  at  the  hotel  appear  in  an  exceed- 


126    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

ingly  high  head  piece  perched  above  their  cus- 
tomary shell  ornament,  which  they  told  us  was 
the  style  of  a  hundred  years  ago. 

The  jinrikisha  man  here  is  the  first  person  to 
gain  your  attention;  so  winning  are  his  ways 
and  so  rapid  his  pace  that  he  is  justly  popular 
for  a  short  spin  to  the  very  interesting  shopping 
district,  where  almost  everything  may  be  found, 
the  jewels  holding  the  interest  of  the  stranger 
above  all  else.  But,  alas,  the  pearl,  Ceylon's 
home  product,  is  to  be  had  only  at  fabulous 
prices  and  not  then  in  its  perfection.  We  had 
heard  of  the  lure  of  the  pearl  in  the  Gulf  of 
Manaar  (separating  Ceylon  from  India),  and 
of  all  the  fairy-tale  adventures  involved  in  the 
search  for  it,  and  so  we  were  disappointed  in  our 
failure  to  see  perfect  specimens. 

The  heat  in  Colombo  was  not  oppressive,  but, 
as  in  other  places,  there  are  flying  pinkahs  and 
electric  appliances  for  cooling  the  air ;  then  there 
are  fans  in  one's  room  to  use  at  will,  for  these 
Easterners  like  comfort  and  secure  it  at  whatever 
cost,  and  the  denizens  of  the  West  soon  fall  into 
their  ways,  even  adopting  the  English  custom 
of  four  o'clock  tea.  The  spacious  entrance  hall 
at  the  Galle  Face  Hotel  presented  an  animated 
appearance,  with  beautifully  gowned  ladies,  and 
their  attendants,  seated  around  little  tables 
sipping  tea  and  consuming  fruit-cake  and 
sandwiches.  -f 


THE   SCENERY  IN   CEYLON      127 

NuwARA  Eliya:  On  Tuesday  morning, 
January  28th,  we  left  Colombo  for  the  north. 
The  mountain  resort  of  Nuwara  Eliya  is  a 
great  boon  even  to  the  inhabitants  of  sea-swept 
Colombo;  and  it  is  also  appreciated  to  its  full 
by  the  tourist  who  has  been  surfeited  with  the 
close  atmosphere  of  cities  or  grown  tired  of  sea 
voyages.  We  had  been  told  that  the  scenery 
combined  the  wildness  of  Switzerland  with  the 
peculiar  charm  of  the  Welsh  mountains ;  hence 
we  felt  that  a  new  experience  awaited  us.  The 
railway  ride  there  confirmed  our  first  inijjres- 
sion  of  Ceylon's  fine  growth  of  trees  and  shrubs, 
the  road  leading  first  through  lowlands  with  end- 
less cocoanut  and  other  palms ;  while  of  all  the 
blossom-laden  trees  the  gold  mohr,  with  its 
wealth  of  scarlet  blossoms,  surpasses  every 
other.  Later,  rice-fields  and  tea  plantations  al- 
ternated, the  latter  even  covering  the  sides  of 
mountains.  The  scenery  grew  bolder  as  we 
went  along,  and  at  the  Junction  we  took  the 
narrow  gauge  for  our  mountain  climb.  This 
ascent  was  another  triumph  of  engineering  skill, 
winding  around  long  and  bold  curves. 

Nuwara  Eliya  is  located  sixty-two  hundred 
feet  above  the  sea,  but,  surrounded  by  moun- 
tains, the  country  has  the  appearance  of  being  a 
valley.  The  Grand  Hotel,  in  bungalow  style, 
is  prettily  located  in  well  laid-out  grounds,  with 
a  fine  view.    In  the  morning  we  drove  to  Hak- 


128    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

galla  Botanical  Garden,  and  on  our  way  there 
we  saw  a  striking  feature  in  great  masses 
of  rhododendrons.  The  road  to  the  gardens 
through  an  avenue  of  trees  was  inviting,  and  as 
we  turned  to  the  right  we  had  a  fine  view  of  the 
west  peak  of  the  Hakgalla  rock ;  passing  on  up 
the  drive,  we  saw  a  large  lake,  the  banks  of  which 
were  lined  with  ornamental  trees.  There  is  here 
a  pleasing  vista  of  flowering  plants,  tall  palms, 
and  varied  trees;  we  examined  an  immense 
tea  plant  twelve  feet  in  diameter,  a  fine  clump 
of  tree  ferns,  and  a  peculiar  silver  fern  from 
New  Zealand,  —  also  a  wax  palm  from  New 
Granada,  the  leaves  of  which  are  covered  with 
a  wax  substance  from  which  good  candles  can 
be  made ;  and  a  fernery  with  twenty-six  thousand 
plants.  There  is  also  a  flower  garden,  a  house 
for  the  propagation  of  plants,  and  a  laboratory 
for  scientific  research,  besides  many  other  in- 
teresting features  in  this  truly  complete  garden. 
We  visited  a  tea  factory,  and  an  attendant 
showed  us  the  entire  process  of  preparation, 
even  to  the  wrapping  of  the  tea  in  packages. 
During  the  afternoon  we  drove  to  Ramboda 
Pass,  six  miles  distant.  From  the  top  of  the 
pass,  six  thousand  feet  high,  there  was  a  pano- 
ramic view  of  mountain  scenery  with  the  Kati- 
nale  valley  below  and  the  gray-crested  Peacock 
Mountain  as  a  centrepiece.  Nuwara  Eliya  is 
a  famed  summer  resort,  with  beautiful  walks, 


1^ 


o 


THE   LEGEND   OF   KANDY       129 

tennis,  cricket,  and  social  clubs;  the  English 
Church  is  finely  located,  with  the  usual  well- 
kept  close. 

Kandy,  January  SOth:  We  left  Nuwara 
Eliya,  on  the  morning  of  January  30th,  for 
Kandy,  arriving  there  at  2  p.  m.  The  train 
passed  through  a  country  similar  to  that  before 
described,  only  there  was  a  greater  descent, 
Kandy  having  less  altitude  than  Nuwara  Eliya. 
We  had  anticipated  much  of  Kandy,  Ceylon's 
ancient  capital  and  the  scene  of  action  in  the 
days  of  the  old  Kandy  an  kings.  It  is  said  that 
when  Adam  and  Eve  were  banished  from  Para- 
dise they  repaired  to  Ceylon  and  located  at 
Kandy,  it  being  the  nearest  approach  to  Para- 
dise. A  few  days'  stay  there  sufficed  to  show  us 
that  the  legend  was  partly  justified. 

The  city  is  situated  in  a  valley  with  stretches 
of  mountains  on  either  side,  a  lake  nestling  in 
the  centre  of  the  place  and  in  the  midst  of  a  per- 
fect wealth  of  trees.  Nature  seemed  to  challenge 
our  admiration. 

The  afternoon  drive  to  Peradeniya  convinced 
us  that  the  claim  of  one  of  the  greatest  botanical 
gardens  in  the  worjd  was  well  founded,  for  here 
we  saw  revelations  in  plants,  shrubs,  and  trees, 
the  new  varieties  of  palms  seeming  wonderful. 
A  talipot  palm  was  in  blossom,  towering  high 
to  heaven,  but  we  knew  that  its  course  was  nearly 

19 


130    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

ended,  for  when  it  attains  about  half  a  century 
of  vitaHty  it  droops  and  dies ;  this  seems  a 
strange  anomaly  of  Nature.  Great  groups  of 
rubber  trees  (largely  exported  from  Ceylon)  and 
immense  groups  of  tall  bamboo  trees  were  also 
in  plenty. 

Kandy,  in  the  Eastern  world,  derives  its 
greatest  renown  from  being  the  home  of  Bud- 
dha's tooth,  and  the  Temple  of  the  Tooth  at- 
tracts great  crowds  of  pilgrims  of  the  Buddhist 
faith  from  many  lands.  It  is  said  to  have  been 
brought  here  in  the  sixteenth  century,  and  the 
small  temple  in  which  it  was  then  placed  has 
been  enlarged  and  made  a  shrine  where  costly 
gifts  are  laid  by  devotees  from  China,  Japan, 
the  Malay  Peninsula,  Siam,  and  other  remote 
points.  Buddhism  claims  the  larger  portion  of 
Ceylon's  subjects,  having  in  comparison  with 
Hinduism  a  small  following  in  India,  where  it 
originated.  The  tooth  is  said  to  be  the  left  eye- 
tooth  of  Prince  Siddhartha,  taken  from  his  ashes 
twenty-five  centuries  ago,  but  it  is  believed  that 
the  original  tooth  was  burned  by  the  Catholic 
Archbishop  of  Goa,  Portugal,  in  1650,  and  a 
spurious  one  substituted.  However,  it  is  wor- 
shipped as  the  real  one,  and  the  morning  fol- 
lowing our  arrival,  we  attended  the  9.30  service 
at  the  temple,  where  a  crowd  was  in  attendance, 
seemingly  enjoying  the  hideous  music  of  the 
tom-toms  and  instruments  of  a  similar  Oriental 


r 


Si 


^ 


THE   TEMPLE   OF   THE   TOOTH     131 

character.  The  tooth  is  not  shown  except  on 
rare  occasions,  but  through  a  glass  door  we  saw 
its  jewelled  casket  and  the  table  on  which  it 
rests. 

There  were  many  offerings  before  this  relic 
and  before  other  images  of  Buddha  which  are 
to  be  found  presiding  over  all  temples.  Much 
superstition  was  evident,  but  the  sacrifices  and 
practices  that  are  to  be  seen  in  the  Hindu 
temples  are  here  wanting.  It  is  a  sad  reflection, 
however,  that  Buddha's  noble  teachings  could 
not  have  borne  better  fruit. 

The  library  of  the  temple  held  many  richly 
bound  Buddhist  books,  written  on  leaves  made 
from  the  talipot  palm.  The  leaves  bound  to- 
gether are  long  and  narrow,  and  are  held  in 
place  between  heavy  covers.  The  priests,  as  in 
Burma,  wear  a  yellow  silk  robe  draped  like  a 
Ro^nan  toga.  They  are  seen  everywhere,  going 
about  in  the  early  morning  with  a  begging  bowl ; 
they  are  ever  courteous  and  apparently  well  bred. 
Cremation  is  practised,  as  with  the  Hindus,  but 
the  rites  preceding  it  are  far  more  imposing  and 
cover  days  of  peculiar  ceremonies,  while  the 
Hindus  practise  almost  immediate  cremation. 
A  visit  to  the  Government  art  school  and  museum 
followed,  and  then  a  beautiful  mountain  drive 
where  hill  and  valley  alternated ;  the  views  were 
past  description. 

In  the  afternoon  we  were  permitted  the  cour- 


132    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

tesy  of  a  visit  to  the  Governor's  residence,  the 
family  being  absent.  The  grounds  were  large 
and  well  laid  out;  the  rooms  spacious  and  fur- 
nished with  a  view  to  comfort  and  to  meet  the 
requirements  of  the  climate.  We  were  interested 
in  learning  that  the  ex-Empress  Eugenie  and 
her  suite  were  about  to  arrive  to  take  up  their 
residence  for  a  time.  A  so-termed  Lady  Blake's 
drive  followed.  This  was  also  largely  a  moun- 
tain ride  with  more  fine  views ;  but  we  surpassed 
ourselves  on  the  following  day  in  the  tour  we 
took,  and  our  adjectives  were  soon  exhausted ; 
so  it  is  natural  that  we  should  vote  Ceylon  the 
finest  land  we  had  thus  far  visited. 

Sunday  was  passed  quietly;  we  attended  a 
6  A.  M.  service  in  the  English  Church,  and  saw 
a  number  of  natives  in  attendance,  ladies  ap- 
pearing in  low  dresses  and  with  uncovered  heads. 
They  were  richly  clad;  so  it  was  evidently  the 
custom,  even  though  to  us  it  seemed  peculiar. 

Anuradhapura  :  Monday,  February  3d,  we 
left  Kandy  to  visit  Anuradhapura. 

Before  proceeding,  it  seems  desirable  to  in- 
troduce an  historical  digression.  The  history 
of  Ceylon  is  shrouded  in  mystery,  but,  from 
chronicles  compiled  by  the  early  monks,  a  real 
foundation  or  beginning  has  been  determined 
upon,  proving  that  the  Cingalese  under  Wigeyo 
invaded  Ceylon  in  543  b.  c.  and  conquered  the 


«3 


~*3 
CO 


^ 


THE   HISTORY   OF   KANDY       133 

aborigines  of  the  soil.  It  is  deemed  probable 
that  they  came  from  neighboring  continents, 
and  that  their  descendants  possessed  character 
and  determination;  that  they  were  builders  is 
shown  by  the  erection  of  splendid  edifices  at  an 
early  date,  and  after  the  arrival  of  the  royal 
Buddhist  missionary,  Mahindo  (son  of  an  In- 
dian king),  306  b.  c,  fine  dagobas  and  monas- 
teries were  added,  each  successive  ruler  seeming 
ambitious  to  excel  his  predecessor. 

Anuradhapura  was  the  first  capital,  but  owing 
to  many  vicissitudes  and  several  invasions  of 
the  Malabars  of  Southern  India,  the  capital  was 
moved  many  times,  Kandy  being  the  sixth;  it 
preceded  Cotta,  near  Colombo,  the  latter  being 
the  present  capital.  In  1532,  on  the  landing  of 
the  Portuguese  at  Colombo,  the  last  blow  was 
struck,  and  soon  the  great  cities  of  the  Empire 
were  deserted  and  left  in  the  hands  of  foreigners. 
The  best  dagobas  w  ere  crumbling,  immense  tanks 
broken,  and  general  devastation  succeeded  where 
splendor  had  long  reigned.  The  annals  of  these 
centuries,  the  recital  of  the  achievements  and  the 
failures  of  the  various  rulers,  read  like  a  romance, 
and  it  seems  sad  that  a  people  thus  endowed  could 
not  have  retained  .their  character  and  independ- 
ence, although  under  English  rule  the  island 
seems  prosperous. 

The  first  mention  of  Kandy  is  at  the  beginning 
of  the  fourteenth  century,  when  a  temple  was 


134    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

built  to  receive  the  sacred  tooth  and  other  ruins, 
the  possession  of  which  made  it  an  important 
centre  of  the  Buddhist  rehgion  and  eventually 
a  royal  residence;  it  became  the  capital  of  the 
island  in  1592.  From  that  time  until  the  final 
establishment  of  the  English  rule  in  1803,  it  was 
repeatedly  captured  and  burned  by  the  Portu- 
guese, the  Dutch,  and  the  English ;  it  conse- 
quently presents  no  architectural  monuments 
nor  any  pretension  to  antiquity. 

But  it  has  a  better  claim  to  the  remembrance 
of  posterity  in  the  fact  that  for  three  hundred 
years  it  was  the  centre  of  the  national  movement 
to  resist  the  aggressions  of  the  foreigner.  After 
the  British  occupation  the  King  was  allowed 
some  authority,  but  owing  to  certain  indignities 
offered  to  English  subjects,  war  was  declared 
in  1815,  the  King  taken  prisoner  and  transported 
to  India,  where  he  died  in  1832.  Ceylon  has 
since  been  an  English  colony.  The  Kandyans 
are  brave  and  fearless  in  appearance;  they 
never  wear  the  Cingalese  comb,  as  this  is  a 
badge  of  the  low  country.  The  women  dress 
differently  from  those  in  India. 

The  city  presents  a  wide  field  of  interest 
for  the  archaeologist,  and  incidentally  for  the 
tourist.  We  were  to  have  a  new  experience  here, 
as  we  were  to  be  housed  in  a  "rest  house,"  the 
term  applied  to  a  Government  semi-hotel,  usually 
of  a  simple  description,  but  serving  as  a  great  con- 


5 


^ 


A   FIELD   FOR   ARCH.F:0L0GISTS     135 

venience  to  Government  officials  in  the  many 
places  throughout  the  English  islands  where 
there  are  no  hotels.  We  found  the  one  at  Anu- 
radhapura  prettily  located  in  a  setting  of  green, 
with  a  garden  in  front.  The  present  little  town 
has  a  population  of  about  three  thousand,  and 
is  the  capital  of  the  north  central  province  of 
Ceylon. 

The  tour  of  the  ruins  is  divided  into  a  con- 
sideration of  the  outer  and  inner  circles,  each 
comprising  a  drive  of  several  miles.  On  the  after- 
noon of  our  arrival  we  took  the  outer  circle  and 
went  past  towering  ruined  temples  called  da- 
gobas,  remains  of  palaces  once  spacious  and 
imposing,  long  rows  of  stately  columns  cover- 
ing a  wide  space,  ruined  towers,  statues,  some 
headless  and  some  showing  traces  of  their 
former  skill,  immense  tanks,  and  remains  of 
buildings  of  many  descriptions  which  are  await- 
ing the  patient  investigation  of  the  archaeologist. 
Much  in  this  line  has  already  been  done,  and 
active  work  is  now  being  carried  forward  on 
some  of  the  dagobas,  the  contribution  of  Bud- 
dhistic pilgrims  who  come  from  far  and  near 
largely  aiding  the  cause.  There  is  also  a  local 
archaeological  society  which  seeks  to  systema- 
tize the  effort. 

The  ride  to  the  inner  circle  and  the  more  dis- 
tant points  consumed  another  four  hours,  and 
an   eight-mile   excursion   will   later   be    alluded 


136    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

to.  The  special  objects  of  interest  may  be  men- 
tioned, with  an  indication  of  what  the  ruins 
represent,  as  they  may  have  general  value. 
The  sacred  road  is  a  feature  of  the  place,  for 
it  is  the  pathway  the  pilgrims  have  trod  for  over 
two  thousand  years.  The  Thuparama  is  the 
oldest  and  most  venerated  of  all  the  dagobas. 
The  largest  one  is  the  Jaytawanarama,  built 
about  the  close  of  the  third  century  a.  d.  by 
King  Mahicena.  The  height,  including  the 
pedestal,  is  two  hundred  and  forty-nine  feet, 
and  its  diameter  three  hundred  and  sixty  feet; 
moreover,  the  contents  of  the  dome  of  brick- 
work and  the  platform  on  which  it  stands  are 
said  to  contain  twenty  million  cubic  feet.  It 
is  also  stated  that,  with  the  facilities  which 
modern  inventions  supply  for  economizing  labor, 
the  building  of  such  a  structure  at  present 
would  take  five  hundred  bricklayers  from  six 
to  seven  years,  and  would  involve  an  expendi- 
ture of  at  least  $5,000,000.  Only  the  glory  of 
the  old  outline  is  now  left,  and  its  four  chapels 
have    crumbled    almost    past    recognition. 

Of  interest  is  the  Isurumuniya  Temple,  con- 
structed by  King  Dewenipiatissa,  300  b.  c. 
The  temple  is  carved  out,  and  circles  around 
a  formation  of  natural  rock;  its  shrine  is  ap- 
proached by  two  terraces,  the  steps  being  in  a 
state  of  fine  preservation.  The  outer  wall  of 
the    upper    terrace    is    ornamented    with    a    re- 


<3 


20 


THE   ISURUMUNIYA  TEMPLE     137 

markable  series  of  seventeen  mural  frescos  in 
low  relief,  the  subjects  being  grotesque,  and 
there  is  a  large  tablet  on  the  south  wall  con- 
sisting of  a  group  of  three  women,  a  man,  and 
attendants.  Close  to  the  entrance  of  the  shrine 
is  a  large  sitting  figure  holding  a  horse,  and 
carved  out  of  the  face  of  the  rock  are  the  heads 
of  four  elephants  in  low  relief.  The  stone  door- 
way is  a  fine  specimen  of  carving,  and  the  pil- 
lars which  support  the  porch  in  front  of  it  are 
beautifully  proportioned.  The  temple  has  been 
restored. 

A  priest's  dwelling-house  is  near,  and  the 
priest  was  officiating  at  the  shrine  at  the  time 
of  my  visit.  I  was  alone ;  he  signified  that  I 
was  to  keep  silent,  and  then  offered  up  a  prayer 
to  Buddha  in  my  behalf,  for  which  I  was  doubt- 
less expected  to  deposit  a  coin  in  a  contribution 
box.  As  I  did  not  disappoint  the  expectant 
priest,  he  courteously  presented  me  with  his 
card,  and  this  is  the  name  inscribed  thereon: 
**Sangharakkhita  Mahathera,  the  High  Priest 
of  the  Isurumuni  Vihara."  Another  interest- 
ing dagoba  with  a  most  unpronounceable  name 
is  now^  being  restored  through  the  pious  con- 
tributions of  pilgrims.  The  present  height  is 
one  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  with  a  diameter  of 
three  hundred  and  seventy-nine  feet.  It  was 
originally  surrounded  by  two  large  paved  plat- 
forms,   the   inner   one   being   raised   above    the 


138    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

other.  Around  the  outer  wall  there  was  origi- 
nally a  complete  circle  of  elephants,  each  ele- 
phant being  furnished  with  tusks  of  real  ivory. 
The  Moonstone  Steps  are  finely  preserved. 
There  is  still  a  striking  frieze  of  lions  running 
along  the  upper  border  of  the  platform,  and 
around  the  base  of  the  dagoba  are  five  large 
upright  statues  and  a  small  sitting  one,  the 
tallest  said  to  be  that  of  King  Dutugemuna. 

There  are  wonderful  tales  told  of  miraculous 
work  done  through  the  celebrated  bo-tree,  a 
branch  of  the  oldest  historical  tree  in  the  world. 
It  was  planted  two  hundred  and  forty -five 
years  before  Christ,  and  its  story  has  been 
handed  down  in  a  continuous  series  of  authentic 
chronicles.  This  is  believed  by  Buddhists  to 
be  a  branch  of  the  sacred  bo-tree  in  Buddh 
Gaya,  India,  under  which  Prince  Siddhartha 
sat  on  the  day  he  attained  Buddha-hood,  this 
branch  having  been  sent  from  India ;  it  has  been 
sacredly  treated,  enriched  with  stone  carvings' 
and  braces,  and  honored  with  magnificent  cer- 
emonies by  repeated  dynasties ;  it  has  also 
been  spared  during  the  successive  invasions  of 
the  land.  The  Chinese  traveller  and  author, 
Fahiam,  visited  it  in  the  fifth  century,  and 
lias  left  an  authentic  record  of  it  as  well  as  of 
some  buildings  in  this  ruined  city.  There  are 
fine  columns  and  many  remains  of  the  King's 
palace    still    standing;   in    addition    to    which, 


CN 


THE   BRAZEN   TEMPLE  139 

the  monasteries  and  tanks  all  show  artistic 
skill. 

Perhaps  a  clearer  idea  of  the  former  splendor 
may  be  had  by  a  brief  recital  of  what  chroniclers 
and  archaeologists  prove  to  have  been  the  plan 
of  the  Buddhist  Brazen  Temple,  now  a  collection 
of  sixteen  hundred  monolithic  granite  pillars, 
standing  twelve  feet  from  the  ground  and  ar- 
ranged in  lines  of  forty  each  way;  they  cover 
a  space  measuring  two  hundred  and  thirty-one 
feet  north  to  south  and  two  hundred  and  thirty- 
two  feet  east  to  west.  This  formed  the  foun- 
dation of  the  great  Brazen  Temple,  erected  by 
King  Dutugemuna  in  the  second  century  b.  c. 
These  columns  supported  the  building,  nine 
stories  in  height,  and  containing  one  thousand 
dormitories  for  priests.  The  roof  was  of  sheet 
copper,  and  the  walls  were  embellished  with 
beads  which  shone  resplendent  like  gems.  The 
great  hall  was  supported  on  golden  pillars  rest- 
ing on  lions,  and  in  the  centre  was  an  ivory 
throne  with  a  golden  sun  and  silver  moon  on 
either  side,  while  above  it  glittered  Imperial 
Chinta,  the  white  canopy  of  dominion  It  was 
destroyed,  then  rebuilt,  and  the  second  restora- 
tion occurred  in  the  twelfth  century,  thus  show- 
ing the  vicissitudes  which  this  and  other  ruins 
have  passed  through. 

The  excursion  to  Mihintale,  eight  miles  dis- 
tant, was  made  alone  with  a  guide,  at  six  in  the 


140    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

morning,  the  other  members  of  the  party  pre- 
ferring another  excursion.  The  drive  was 
mostly  through  what  was  termed  a  jungle, 
meaning  a  roadway  cut  through  the  forest  and 
left  in  its  natural  state;  hence  there  was  a 
tangle  of  vines  and  underbrush,  and  the  effect 
was  very  fine  with  the  great  variety  which  the 
tropical  vegetation  affords.  Reaching  our  desti- 
nation, we  left  the  carriage  for  a  walk  of  three 
quarters  of  a  mile  through  a  forest  to  the  base 
of  a  mountain  from  which  ascends  eighteen 
hundred  and  sixty-four  wide  marble  steps, 
divided  into  four  flights,  with  a  landing  for  each, 
paths  leading  to  the  left  or  right  of  the  landings 
to  some  object  of  interest. 

The  stairs  were  not  difficult  but  rather  con- 
tinuous, as  we  found  before  we  reached  the 
top.  In  the  middle  of  the  last  flight  was  a  nar- 
row path  leading  to  the  snakes'  bathing-place; 
this  is  formed  out  of  solid  rock  and  measures 
about  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet  in  length. 
At  the  back  the  five-headed  cobra  has  been 
carved  in  high  relief;  it  is  seven  feet  high  and 
is  represented  as  rising  from  the  water.  The 
sanctity  of  the  mountain-top  in  the  eyes  of 
Buddhists  is  said  to  be  due  to  the  fact  that  on  the 
summit  alighted  the  royal  missionary,  Maha- 
hindo,  when  he  came  from  India,  307  b.  c.  ; 
he  there  met  the  King,  who  was  out  hunting, 
and   having   listened   to   a   discourse,  the   King 


Mihitale  Steps 


THE   AMBUSTALA  DAGOBA      141 

became  an  ardent  Buddhist,  a  fact  which  later 
resulted  in  the  conversion  of  forty  thousand  of 
his  followers. 

Ceylon  :  The  Ambustala  dagoba  now  marks 
the  spot  of  the  meeting.  It  is  built  of  stone,  the 
terrace  around  it  consisting  of  numerous  col- 
umns. There  are  ruined  statues,  columns,  and 
carved  capitals  scattered  about,  showing  that 
formerly  this  was  the  basis  for  a  group  of  build- 
ings. There  are  also  oblong  cuttings  in  the  rock, 
supposed  to  be  the  foundation  of  cave  dweUings 
never  completed.  One  more  flight  of  stairs 
leads  up  to  the  gallery,  surrounding  the  Maha- 
seya  dagoba.  The  view  from  this  highest  gal- 
lery is  magnificent;  the  great  plain  gave  a  wide 
vista,  while  beyond  was  an  outline  of  the  dis- 
tant mountain  range;  nearer  we  saw  great 
masses  of  green,  through  which  shone  the  three 
great  dagobas  of  Anuradhapura. 

Before  leaving  the  summit  we  held  a  conver- 
sation with  the  aged  priest  through  an  inter- 
preter, and,  retracing  our  steps,  drove  to  the 
rest  house  for  a  ten-o'clock  breakfast  made  up 
of  coffee  and  rolls;  then,  returning  to  our  tem- 
porary home  in  Anuradhapura,  we  pronounced 
the  morning's  excursion  a  success. 

In  the  afternoon  we  took  a  drive  with  a  guide 
through  the  inner  circle,  when  there  occurred 
the  incident  with  the  priest  previously  related. 


142    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

At  6  A.  M.  the  following  day,  we  returned  to 
Colombo,  and  again  enjoyed  the  tropical  vege- 
tation, the  views  of  mountain  and  valley,  of 
rice  and  tea  plantations,  and  the  glimpse  of 
native  life  which  the  short  stay  at  stations 
afforded.  Time  thus  passed  in  the  mountains 
and  country  of  Ceylon  is  indeed  fraught  with 
delight.  We  had  an  object  lesson  in  the  habits 
and  customs  of  the  so-called  hill-country,  Kandy 
furnishing  many  marked  examples ;  there  was 
particularly  the  large  two-wheeled  cart  with 
oxen  as  propelling  power.  We  were  also  in- 
terested in  the  Rodiyas,  living  in  the  outskirts, 
a  people  oppressed  on  account  of  a  curse  pro- 
nounced by  a  king  many  years  ago,  one  of  the 
conditions  being  the  prohibition  of  clothes  above 
the  waist,  both  for  men  and  women.  The 
latter  are  noted  for  their  beauty,  and  excel  as 
singers  and  dancers,  but  they  suffer  under  the 
stigma  of  immodesty  for  the  reason  given  above. 

Three  restful  days  followed;  the  hotel  wore 
a  homelike  air,  and  the  time  was  full  of  content 
and  quiet  enjoyment.  Ceylon  fascinated  me 
from  the  first,  and  after  the  trip  to  the  moun- 
tains and  a  more  perfect  realization  of  the 
natural  advantages  of  the  island,  the  impression 
deepened. 

The  native  people  also  struck  me  as  being 
cheerful,  but  with  more  strength  of  character 
than    the    Burmese,    and    possessing    a    certain 


o 

o 


CO 


FAREWELL   TO   CEYLON         143 

kind  of  dignity  that  was  pleasing.  The  bazars 
too  were  found  unusually  interesting  on  a  closer 
inspection,  and  offered  many  new  and  novel 
articles. 

While  there  were  carriage  drives,  this  was 
our  first  introduction  to  the  jinrikishas,  and 
we  found  them  most  convenient  and  a  novelty ; 
only  there  was  an  uncomfortable  feeling  that 
the  jinrikisha  man  in  Ceylon  was  too  slight  for 
his  occupation. 

The  street  scenes  presented  almost  as  cos- 
mopolitan an  aspect  as  those  at  Rangoon,  and 
with  quite  as  varied  a  mixture  of  nationality. 

There  was  a  notable  carriage  drive  of  eight 
miles  to  Mt.  Lavinia,  a  seaside  resort  with  only 
a  hotel  perched  on  a  hill,  while  below  on  the 
sandy  beach  were  many  fishing-boats.  Here 
we  whiled  away  an  hour,  and  had  afternoon 
tea. 

On  Saturday  evening,  February  8th,  we  bade 
adieu  to  Ceylon,  taking  passage  on  the  steamer 
Delhi  of  the  P.  &  O.  line,  which  was  to  be  our 
home  until  the  14th.  We  were  assigned  pleasant 
rooms,  and  the  general  environment  was  agree- 
able. There  was  little  of  incident  on  the  trip 
imtil  we. landed  at  Penang,  Malay  peninsula,  on 
the  morning  of  the  13th.  We  made  a  special 
tour,  and  noted  many  beautiful  homes  with 
surrounding  grounds  and  a  general  air  of  thrift. 
We  were  once  more  reminded  of  Great  Britain's 


144    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

supremacy  in  the  Far  East ;  it  is  surprising,  the 
vast  amount  of  colonizing,  as  well  as  civilizing, 
she  has  accomplished. 

In  Penang,  Chinamen  were  everywhere  seen 
and  Chinese  business  houses  predominated. 
The  Malay  was,  however,  to  be  found  as  he 
should  be  on  the  Malay  peninsula.  At  first  it 
was  difficult  for  us  to  realize  that  we  had  left 
the  East,  Penang  being  the  portal  of  the  Far 
East,  of  which  Singapore  is  the  gateway,  her 
harbor  being  a  famous  shipping  point. 

At  11  A.  M.  we  were  sailing  on  for  that  port, 
which  is'  regarded  as  the  Paris  of  the  Far  East 
by  the  wealthy  nabobs  who  frequent  the  city. 
The  Chinese  coolie  who  officiated  as  jinrikisha 
man  was  a  sturdier  specimen  of  humanity  than 
the  one  seen  at  Colombo,  and  we  could  enjoy 
a  ride  without  the  conscientious  scruples  experi- 
enced at  the  former  place. 

Arriving  at  Singapore,  we  found  we  must 
postpone  our  visit  there,  as  the  steamer  Rem- 
brandt, of  the  Dutch  line,  was  soon  to  leave  for 
Java. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  we  sailed 
from  Singapore;  we  caught  some  glimpses  of 
the  shore  and  noted  the  finest  group  of  the 
traveller's  palm  we  had  as  yet  seen ;  also 
some  pretty  bungalow  homes  close  to  the  water's 
edge,  with  tiny  gardens  enclosing  palms  and 
flowers. 


21 


A  PLACID    JOURNEY  145 

There  was  scarcely  a  ripple  to  be  detected, 
and  the  elements  were  hushed;  the  brilliant 
rays  of  the  setting  sun  shed  a  halo  over  the 
peaceful  landscape. 

We  imagined  there  must  be  some  premoni- 
tion of  the  event  which  was  to  take  place  in  the 
night,  namely,  the  passing  of  the  equatorial 
line ;  and  we  tried  to  keep  our  senses  alert  in 
order  not  to  miss  the  subtle  significance  of  so 
unusual  an  event,  but  in  the  morning  there  was 
the  humiliating  reflection  that  sleep  had  ''won 
the  day  "  !  At  noon  we  began  to  realize  that 
we  were  at  Summer's  door  and  would  soon  learn 
the  true  quality  of  the  tropical  heat,  of  which  we 
had  had  as  yet  only  a  prelude. 

The  Java  Sea  was  as  placid  as  the  Strait  of 
Malacca  had  been,  and  there  was  little  to  break 
the  monotony  save  a  passing  steamer,  a  glimpse 
of  Sumatra's  shore,  and  an  occasional  island. 
Another  night  passed,  and  in  the  morning  we 
were  at  the  harbor  of  Tandjong  Priok,  which  is 
nine  miles  from  the  city  of  Batavia.  We  arrived 
there  in  a  pouring  rain ;  we  were  now^  in  a  land 
where  rain  is  prevalent,  this  being  the  wet  mon- 
soon season. 

After  a  very  slight  custom-house  inspection 
was  completed,  we  left  by  train  for  Batavia, 
one  of  the  capitals  of  Java.  We  were  at  once 
impressed  with  the  variety  of  the  landscape  and 
the   tropical   richness   of  the  trees  and  shrubs. 


146    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR   EAST 

The  Dutch  aspect  of  the  architecture  and  the 
canals  were  evidence  of  the  influence  of  the 
fatherland,  but  the  natives  seemed  to  be  a 
mixture  of  Javanese  and  Malays,  while  the 
Chinese,  as  elsewhere,  were  to  be  seen  in  large 
numbers. 

The  canals  are  the  principal  feature  of  the 
old  city  of  Batavia;  but  along  the  streets  one 
detects  also  many  business  houses  and  banks, 
some  of  the  largest  being  Chinese. 

The  Hotel  des  Indes  is  located  in  the  new  city 
called  Werengen.  On  entering  the  enclosure 
which  surrounds  the  hotel,  a  large  banyan  tree 
was  the  central  object  directly  in  front  of  the 
hotel  proper,  situated  nearly  in  the  centre  of  a 
square. 

On  three  sides  of  the  square  are  arranged  a 
continuous  series  of  one-story  suite  of  rooms 
opening  in  front  on  a  wide  veranda,  shut  oft* 
from  the  adjacent  suite  by  screens  of  stained 
glass  and  shaded  by  glass  and  awnings.  This 
was  the  salon  of  the  suite,  furnished  with  rugs, 
chairs,  centre  table,  and  writing-desk.  Here  all 
w^aking  hours  are  supposed  to  be  passed.  The 
largest  homes  of  the  residents  are  similarly  ar- 
ranged ;  such  an  exterior  forms  the  large  draw- 
ing-room, often  beautifully  furnished.  It  all 
seemed  new  and  novel  to  us,  but  the  climax  was 
reached  when  we  saw  even  matrons  on  exhibi- 
tion in  these  show  boxes,  dressed  in  loose  jackets, 


JS. 


BOTANICAL   GARDENS  147 

sarongs  drawn  closely  around  them,  and  their 
bare  feet  simply  encased  in  sandals ;  also  stout 
Dutchmen  in  pajamas,  and  sometimes  this  cos- 
tume was  worn  in  the  dining-room  with  the  ut- 
most unconcern,  showing  how  customs  vary  in 
different  countries. 

The  charming  bungalow  homes  in  the  new 
city,  surrounded  by  spacious  grounds,  pleased  us, 
as  did  the  business  houses;  some  fronting  on 
canals  which  were  spanned  by  artistic  bridges. 
The  Museum  of  the  Batavian  Society  of  Arts 
and  Sciences  was  rich  in  exhibits  of  Sumatra's 
and  Borneo's  products  and  handwork,  as  well  as 
in  Javanese  antiquities  and  in  articles  of  silver 
and  gold  workmanship,  which  were  novel  in 
design  and  skilfully  executed.  The  building  is 
classic  in  its  lines  and  very  pleasing. 

-^ 

February  ISth:  An  early  train,  6  a.  m.,  for 
Buitenzorg  gave  us  the  freshness  of  the  morning 
for  travel,  and  the  two  hours  thus  consumed  were 
filled  with  exclamations  of  delight  over  the 
beauty  of  the  scenery.  Soon  after  our  arrival  at 
the  Hotel  Belle  Vue,  we  drove  to  the  Botanical 
Gardens,  where,  like  Peradeniya  in  Ceylon,  a 
revelation  awaited  us.  Masses  of  pink  lotus, 
white  lilies,  Victoria  Regia,  and  other  varieties 
of  the  lily  family  formed  great  patches  of  color  on 
the  miniature  ponds  that  were  their  setting.  Or- 
chids in  greenhouses  and  on  trees  put  forth  their 


148    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR   EAST 

graceful  flowers;  palms  of  every  description, 
candle  trees  with  myriads  of  almost  realistic 
candles  which  were  suspended  from  the  branches, 
sausage  trees  with  veritable  bolognas  hanging 
from  the  limbs,  bread-fruit  trees,  lovely  vistas  of 
the  graceful  banana,  and  groups  of  other  foliage 
or  shrubs  surrounded  us  in  abundance. 

The  Governor's  spacious  residence  looks  out 
upon  the  park  on  one  side,  and  a  pretty  sum- 
mer-house overlooking  a  valley  gave  a  pictur- 
esque touch  to  the  place. ^  The  ride  around  the 
city  showed  lovely  homes  set  in  varied  greens,  and 
a  general  air  of  thrift  and  prosperity  prevailed. 

The  hotel  is  charmingly  located  and  has 
pleasant  features.  It  fronts  on  a  garden,  with  a 
wide  gallery  overlooking  the  city.  A  square 
court  in  the  rear  is  encircled  by  a  series  of  rooms, 
with  the  front  gallery  looking  on  the  court,  and 
the  back  gallery  facing  a  valley  (the  house  is 
built  on  a  side  hili)  through  which  runs  a  river 
with  a  tiny  village  on  its  border;  while  beyond 
a  wide  vista  of  cocoanut  palms  rises  a  range  of 
mountains,  Mt.  Salak  being  the  distinctive 
feature.  Both  galleries  are  well  furnished,  and 
here  guests  assemble  when  in  the  hotel.  The 
view  from  the  rear  gallery  I  have  never  seen 

^  Buitenzorg  divides  the  honor  with  Batavia  of  being  a  capital, 
and  its  beauty  of  location  and  fine  climate  (seven  hundred  feet 
above  the  sea-level)  make  it  a  favorite  resort,  as  well  as  the 
centre  of  the  wealth  and  fashion  of  the  island.  In  Buitenzorg 
one  might  linger  on  indefinitely  and  never  count  the  days. 


^ 


AN   EARLY   DEPARTURE  149 

surpassed  in  breadth,  except  perhaps  by  that 
in  Granada,  when  from  Miss  Laird's  balcony 
(near  the  Alhambra)  we  looked  down  upon  the 
city,  with  the  mountains  beyond. 

The  Javanese  view  was  enjoyed  for  hours, 
as  a  heavy  rain  prevented  our  afternoon  ride, 
and  the  letters  that  should  have  been  written 
were  somewhat  neglected,  owing  to  the  view 
described. 

One  shrinks  at  being  called  at  four  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  at  having  breakfast  at  five,  and 
at  taking  a  train  at  six,  but  such  was  our  ex- 
perience on  February  19th.  One  leaves  Buiten- 
zorg  for  Garoet  as  the  first  streak  of  dawn  ap- 
pears ;  as  we  sped  along,  we  realized  more  and 
more  what  tropical  vegetation  and  abundant 
rain  could  produce,  for  the  vivid  greens  and 
dewy  freshness  of  the  foliage  surpassed  even 
Ceylon's  landscape,  which  in  its  turn  had  sur- 
passed anything  before  seen,  even  our  own 
South  and  Southern  California  not  excepted; 
Java  is  indeed  the  garden  of  the  world !  With 
remote  mountain  views  on  either  side  of  us  and 
nearer  aspects  of  palms  and  trees  bearing  names 
imknown,  there  were  interspersed  rice  planta- 
tions, unlike  the  flat  fields  of  Burma,  cultivated 
in  terraces  rising  one  above  the  other  on  hilly 
slopes.  An  occasional  tea  plantation  lay  here 
and  there,  and  some  traces  of  coffee  plantations ; 
the  cultivation  of  the  bean  has  been  partly  aban- 


150    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

doned  owing  to  the  blight  about  ten  years 
since. 

As  the  train  cHmbed  upward,  our  destination 
being  Garoet,  two  thousand  feet  above  the  sea- 
level,  the  scenery  grew  less  marked,  but  we  were 
still  encircled  by  the  Gedeh  Mountain  range. 
The  great  Garoet  plain  consists  of  wide  level 
stretches  and  extended  rice-fields,  less  marked 
by  terraces  than  those  we  had  seen  before ; 
therein  is  situated  the  quaint  village  of  Garoet, 
a  favorite  hill  resort,  where  we  found  the  noted 
Hotel  van  Horck  with  its  reputation  for  neatness 
and  restful  hospitality.  The  one-story  building 
has  suites  of  rooms  looking  out  on  a  spacious 
garden,  conventional  in  style,  with  its  wealth 
of  trees,  shrubs,  and  flowers,  also  busts  and 
statues.  A  large  oval  bed  of  brilliant  crotons 
on  one  side  of  the  garden,  and  another  foliage 
bed  that  formed  the  base  of  a  pyramidal  vase 
on  the  other  side,  were  especially  admired. 

The  pretty  little  village  of  Garoet  seemed  to 
breathe  a  spirit  of  contentment,  and  it  is  quite 
a  resort  for  people  from  a  lower  altitude.  It  is 
also  the  starting-point  for  various  excursions, 
some  of  which  we  took,  but  the  daily  rains  proved 
an  obstacle.  The  afternoon  of  our  arrival  we 
drove  to  a  pretty  lake,  but  a  sudden  rain  pre- 
vented a  sail  to  the  island  in  an  exceedingly 
quaint  little  kiosk,  which  rests  on  two  long  boats. 
The  bad  weather  also  prevented  a  visit  to  the 


i2> 


THE   CRATER   OF  PAPANDAJANG      151 

Hot  Springs,  where  baths  of  a  rather  primitive 
character  are  furnished. 

The  most  noted  excursion  is  to  the  crater  of 
Papandajang.  We  departed  on  this  quest, 
about  five  in  the  morning,  driving  eleven  miles 
to  the  rest  house  at  Tjiseroepan,  where  ponies 
and  sedan  chairs  were  furnished  for  the  ascent, 
a  distance  of  about  six  miles.  Four  of  our  party 
selected  saddle  horses,  and  four  preferred  sedan 
chairs  (I  took  the  latter).  The  chairs  are  car- 
ried by  four  men,  two  in  front  and  two  in  the 
back,  supporting  on  their  shoulders  long  bamboo 
poles  on  which  the  sedan  is  placed.  They  were 
similar  to  those  used  in  the  ascent  of  Tiger  Hill, 
at  Darjeeling,  but  seemed  to  be  more  like 
palanquins,  for  one  could  half  recline  therein. 

The  ascent  once  begun,  our  eyes  were  riveted 
first  on  one  side  of  the  narrow  roadway  and  then 
on  the  other,  so  diversified  was  the  view^:  first 
patches  of  bananas,  then  palms  and  bamboo 
which  formed  an  archway.  Such  was  the  con- 
tinued landscape,  while  intervening  spaces  were 
devoted  to  the  cultivation  of  coffee.  The 
chicona  plant,  from  which  quinine  is  made,  was 
also  seen,  and  one  or  two  patches  of  tea  planta- 
tions. A  picturesque  feature  of  this  ride  was  a 
double  hedge  made  of  two  rows  of  bamboo 
poles  with  an  occasional  horizontal  support, 
between  which  were  vines,  low^  palms,  and 
unknown  plants;    as  we  ascended  farther  low 


152    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

ferns  formed  a  fringe  at  the  base  of  the  hedge. 
Never  have  I  seen  anything  loveUer  than  this 
trelHs  of  Nature,  which  extended  about  half-way 
up  the  ascent ;  then  the  way  grew  narrower  and 
we  were  in  the  real  jungle.  Here  surprising 
wonders  awaited  us,  towering  palms  and  other 
trees,  vines  and  giant  ferns,  some  of  which  had 
taken  root  in  crevices  of  a  tall  palm,  producing 
a  round  basket  effect.  This  was  three  times 
repeated  on  the  trunks  of  several  palms,  a  stray 
seed  having,  perhaps,  settled  there.  It  seemed 
to  me  as  though  the  palm,  if  it  could,  would 
utter  a  protest. 

The  higher  we  went,  the  larger  and  more 
varied  grew^  the  ferns.  There  had  been  flow^ers 
all  the  way  —  wild  phlox,  the  primrose,  the 
creeping  periwinkle,  and  white  and  red  dentura, 
together  with  many  trees  of  brilliant  foliage 
similar  in  color  to  our  Autumn  tints.  There  was 
also  a  very  tall  bush  with  clusters  of  bright 
yellow  blossoms,  in  size  much  like  our  wild  rose. 
When  nearer  the  crater,  the  trees  became  small 
and  the  vegetation  more  sparse,  until  we  reached 
the  point  where  we  left  our  chairs  and  com- 
menced our  final  ascent,  about  one  quarter  of  a 
mile,  over  broken  pieces  of  lava.  Then  we 
arrived  at  the  halting-point  and  gazed  on  the 
near  crater,  inhaling  the  sulphurous  fumes, 
hearing  the  rumble,  and  seeing  the  clouds  of 
vapor  as  they  issued  forth,  with  a  mixture  of 


^ 


22 


A  PERILOUS   DESCENT  153 

bright  yellow  sulphur.  The  volcano  is  now 
inactive,  the  last  eruption  having  taken  place  in 
1772,  when  forty  villages  were  destroyed.  At 
this  time  the  side  of  the  crater  towards  us  was 
broken.     It  is  altogether  a  fine  spectacle. 

Having  partaken  of  our  breakfast  at  ten- 
thirty,  we  prepared  for  our  descent,  when,  alas ! 
a  pouring  rain  set  in,  and  as  the  sHght  covering 
of  the  sedan  chair  afforded  httle  protection, 
there  was  no  avoiding  a  thorough  wetting.  We 
had  thought  of  the  fine  views  we  would  have  in 
our  descent,  and  were  now  glad  of  the  occasional 
backward  glances  we  had  taken  during  our 
upward  climb.  These  were  fine,  of  great 
breadth,  embracing  distant  mountains,  nearer 
ones,  and  an  occasional  plain  which  is  a  charac- 
teristic feature  of  a  Java  landscape.  The  descent 
was  very  steep  in  places,  and  the  footing  of  the 
men  was  rather  uncertain;  hence  it  was  a  relief 
when  the  task  was  accomplished.  We  viewed 
some  new  features  every  now  and  then,  a 
noticeable  one  being  a  group  of  twelve  very 
large  banyan  trees  of  the  variety  known  as 
Werengen  in  a  field  near  the  rest  house; 
their  white  gnarled  trunks  and  limbs  suggested 
the  forest  primeval. 

The  next  morning  we  drove  twelve  miles  to 
Leles,  past  the  broad  Leles  plain,  and  nearly  all 
the  way  through  a  shaded  avenue  of  trees,  at 
times   forming   a   natural    archway.      The   lake 


154    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

was  most  picturesque,  with  its  three  islands  and 
varied  shore  Une.  On  one  side  there  was  a 
small  cultivated  mountain  sloping  to  the  water's 
edge.  A  heavy  rain  prevented  the  afternoon 
excursion. 

We  left  Garoet  on  February  22nd,  for  almost  a 
day's  railroad  journey  to  Djokjakarta. 

-♦- 

Djokjakarta,  February  22nd:  We  arrived 
at  Djokjakarta  on  Saturday,  February  22nd,  at 
4  p.  M.  A  drive  followed,  showing  us  an  older 
and  prettier  place  than  Garoet,  with  a  large 
Chinese  quarter,  in  which  the  shops  lacked 
much  attraction. 

The  Sultan's  palace  was  pointed  out;  it  was 
by  no  means  imposing.  We  saw  his  elephants, 
but  declined  to  enter  the  enclosure  where  the 
tigers  were  confined.  Some  of  the  houses  were 
Dutch  in  style ;  others  were  Javanese  of  the  one- 
story  bungalow  type,  with  open  fronts.  Early 
the  following  day,  at  6  a.  M.,  we  drove  to  the 
ruined  temple  of  Prambanam,  and  nine  miles 
from  Djokjakarta,  we  visited  Chandi  Kalasan 
C'chandi"  means  a  mausoleum),  a  beautiful 
ruin,  unfortunately  too  dilapidated  to  afford 
much  satisfaction,  but  from  the  remains  that 
have  been  found  archaeologists  base  their  belief 
that  it  was  incomparably  beautiful  in  conception 
and  workmanship.  We  also  went  to  another 
temple,  Chandi  Sewo,  about  half  a  mile  distant, 


I'he  ruined  temple  of  Prnmbanam 


-ss 

I 


^ 


05 


The  stairs  leading  to  a  Frambanam  temple 


PRAMBANAM  TEMPLES  155 

which  also  showed  marks  of  great  beauty.  We 
drove  on,  perhaps  a  mile  farther,  and  came  to  a 
wonderful  group  of  temples,  dating  about  the 
same  period,  known  as  Prambanam,  where  we 
saw  what  excited  our  wonder  and  admiration. 
Though  the  ruins  did  not  contain  a  single 
genuine  Buddha  figure,  holding  only  many 
images  of  Hindu  gods,  archaeologists  find  ample 
proof  that  they  were  built  by  Buddhists  (they 
have  been  called  Hindu  temples). 

Time  will  not,  however,  permit  an  elucidation 
of  them  further  than  to  state  that  Dr.  Gronneman, 
a  celebrated  writer  and  archaeologist  and  an  ac- 
cepted authority,  believes  that  a  number  of 
monuments  and  bo-trees  have  within  a  few  years 
been  hewn  out  around  the  base  of  each  of  the 
temples,  these  being  covered  with  the  traditional 
parasols;  many  of  the  dagoba-shaped  bells 
have  also  been  found,  —  a  symbol  of  the  tree 
under  which  Prince  Siddhartha  attained  Buddha- 
hood.  Dr.  Gronneman  also  calls  them  Pram- 
banam. The  ruins  form  a  group  of  eight 
temples  or  chandis,  —  three  greater  and  three 
lesser  ones  in  two  parallel  rows,  —  the  former 
on  the  west,  the  latter  on  the  east  side  of  the 
spacious  squares  with  two  smaller  ones  at  the 
ends.  These  were  doubtless  mausolea  built  over 
the  ashes  of  princes  or  chiefs.  The  temples  were 
probably  constructed  toward  the  end  of  the  eighth 
century,    and   unfinished   sculptures    show   that 


156    TRAVELS   IN  THE   FAR  EAST 

the  work  was  stopped  before  completion.  It  is 
stated  that  possibly  this  may  have  been  caused  by 
the  overthrow  of  the  Empire  at  that  time.  There 
are  two  flights  of  stairs  on  each  side,  the  lower 
leading  to  a  landing  which  is  raised  a  few  feet 
above  the  terrace,  but  in  the  corners  between  the 
stairs  and  the  wall  of  the  basement  are  miniature 
temples  of  exquisite  workmanship,  the  front  and 
side  walls  of  which  had  niches,  each  containing  a 
high-relief  figure  of  a  man  or  a  woman.  The 
upper  flight  of  stairs  (three  sides  lead  to  the 
entrance  to  three  chapels  with  pyramidal  roofs 
of  their  own)  have  suftered  much  devastation. 
The  largest  of  the  temples  has  a  broken  image 
of  Siva,  more  than  life  size.  This,  together  with 
the  nature  of  the  bas-reliefs,  has  caused  archae- 
ologists to  name  it  the  Siva  Temple.  In  like 
manner  the  second  temple  has  been  called 
Brahma,  and  the  third  Vishnu,  thus  including 
the  Indian  triumvirate  of  gods.  On  the  upper 
walls  of  the  basements  of  all  the  principal 
temples  are  several  series  of  sculptures,  each 
following  one  division  of  the  wall.  Most  of  the 
niches  contain  small  lions  with  curled  manes, 
while  some  in  the  projecting  part  of  the  wall 
have  three  heavenly  nymphs  standing  in  a  stately 
manner  with  arms  interlaced.  A  series  of  sculp- 
tures which  has  been  preserved  almost  intact  on 
the  inner  side  of  the  parapet  wall  of  the  Siva 
Temple  is  a  repetition  of  the  first  part  of  the 


i'oe  I'hree  Graces  in  the  Lara  Jongram  Temple ^  Java 


THE   THREE   GRACES  157 

Rama  legend  as  told  in  the  Indian  epic,  "Rama- 
yana,"  and  it  is  thought  that  the  corresponding 
series  of  the  other  temples  may  have  represented 
the  sequel  to  that  history.  A  ponderous  cornice 
richly  ornamented,  which  is  now  almost  gone, 
runs  over  this  series  of  sculptures.  Another 
series  was  found  on  the  walls  of  the  temple  itself 
a  few  feet  higher  than  the  terrace,  and  still 
higher  up  there  is  a  more  continuous  series,  but 
the  arches  and  figures  are  lost  in  the  almost 
general  wreck  which  time  and  the  elements  have 
wrought.  Only  a  hint  of  the  character  of  these 
ruins  has  been  given,  but  with  the  aid  of  the 
illustrations,  some  idea  of  them,  of  their  entire 
beauty,  as  well  as  of  the  imposing  majesty  of  the 
sculptures,  may  be  gained.  The  Loro  Jonggram 
Temple  has  a  celebrated  bas-relief  in  an  elabo- 
rate niche,  called  the  ''Three  Graces." 

About  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant  from  the 
Prambanam  there  is  another  group  of  temples 
covering  the  largest  circumference  of  any  other 
group  in  the  region.  The  principal  temple, 
much  surpassing  the  others  in  size,  stood 
on  a  raised  rectangular  terrace,  enclosed  by  a 
low  wall  with  a  gateway  in  the  middle  of  each 
side.  A  little  lower  there  were  twenty-eight 
temples  forming  a  rectangular  enclosure,  and 
another  more  spacious  court  was  enclosed  by 
forty-four  temples.  There  was  a  still  larger 
rectangular  terrace  with  eighty  temples,  and  a 


158    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR   EAST 

lower  terrace  with  eighty-eight  temples,  making 
two  hundred  and  forty  in  all ;  hence,  by  exaggera- 
tion, the  name,  ''One  Thousand  Temples." 
Each  of  the  temples,  which  diminish  in  size, 
forms  a  square  with  a  little  approach  and  small 
steos  leading  to  the  inner  room.  The  largest 
temple  of  the  group  was  I'ich  in  detail  and 
sculpture  designs,  which,  like  the  Prambanam 
group,  relate  to  the  Indian  triumvirate,  Siva, 
Brahma,  and  Vishnu,  with  the  same  evidences, 
however,  as  to  Buddhist  origin.  There  were  still 
other  ruined  temples  in  the  vicinity  which  could 
not  be  visited,  but  we  drove  back  the  nine  miles 
to  Djokjakarta,  feeling  that  we  had  had  a  rich 
morning's  experience  and  also  deeply  impressed* 
with  the  labor,  patience,  and  skill  which  these 
ruins  represented. 

We  arrived  at  the  Hotel  Mataram  in  time  for 
luncheon  in  the  pleasant  open  dining-room, 
leading  to  a  garden  filled  with  trees,  from  whose 
branches  were  suspended  orchids  of  various 
hues.  February  24th  was  the  date  fixed  for  a 
trip  of  twelve  miles  by  carriage  to  the  Buddhist 
temple,  Boro  Boedor,  but  the  late  rains  of  the 
monsoon  season  had  carried  away  a  bridge  that 
must  be  crossed;  hence  a  grave  doubt  arose  as 
to  whether  we  would  be  able  to  go.  Our  enthusi- 
asm, however,  led  us  to  take  the  risk,  with  the 
result  that  on  reaching  the  scene  of  the  wreck  we 
found    an    improvised    footbridge    and    another 


2'he  old  temple  at  Me?idoet 


BORO   BOEDOR  159 

train  awaiting  us  on  the  opposite  side.  Our 
railway  journey  terminated,  we  took  a  carriage 
for  a  drive  of  several  miles,  stopping  on  our  way 
at  the  old  temple  of  Mendoet,  small  but  very 
perfect  in  its  construction,  with  fine  bas-reliefs 
and  large  architectural  ornaments;  also  some 
immense  savage  gargoyles,  which  were  espe- 
cially noticeable. 

We  ascended  the  stairs  to  the  inner  room, 
where  was  a  large-sized  figure  of  Buddha,  with 
the  attendant  figures  at  each  side  called  his  sons, 
Buddhavista,  meaning ''  future  Buddhas."  Driv- 
ing on,  we  came  to  another  missing  bridge.  Here 
we  were  taken  across  on  a  rude  raft,  the  carriage 
following,  and  then  the  horses. .  As  we  drew 
near  Boro  Boedor,  a  feeling  of  awe  came  over  us, 
for  we  were  to  behold  a  temple  which  for  cen- 
turies had  been  buried  from  the  sight  of  man. 
Indeed,  until  the  debris  of  time  was  removed, 
after  English  occupation  in  1811,  not  a  hint  of 
its  existence  even  had  been  known.  This  work 
was  undertaken  by  Sir  Stamford  Raffles  before 
the  cession  of  Java  to  the  Dutch  in  1816,  and 
carried  on,  aided  by  eminent  archaeologists. 
Much  has  been  done  by  the  Government  and 
by  an  Archaeologist  Society  since  1885,  and  at 
the  time  we  were  there  it  was  said  that  about 
one  thousand  workmen  were  employed  on  the 
temple. 

The  approach  being  over  a  hill,  the  view  of  the 


160    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

temple  is  suddenly  disclosed,  but  from  the  rest 
house  we  had  a  side  glimpse.  This  is  eon- 
fusing  at  first,  and  the  structure  seems  too  broad 
for  the  height,  thus  lacking  in  impressiveness ; 
but  as  one  approaches  and  the  huge  mass  takes 
on  color  and  expression,  with  the  many-sided 
pyramids  of  dark  gray  stone,  the  mass  of  cupolas, 
spires,  and  walls  surrounded  by  a  high  central 
dome,  the  impression  taken  altogether  becomes 
almost  overpowering.  It  is  a  structure  difficult 
to  describe,  but  a  few^  outlines  with  the  aid  of 
the  illustrations  may  give  you  some  idea  at  least 
of  its  size  and  impressiveness. 

First,  it  is  not  a  building  in  the  ordinary  sense 
and  has  no  entrance.  It  is  the  top  of  a  hill, 
artificially  lowered  and  encircled  with  galleries 
built  by  human  hands.  The  lowest  terrace, 
which  is  shown  in  the  picture,  forms  the  upper 
portion  of  a  terrace  wall,  which  is  still  submerged 
below  the  soil.  This  terrace  has  thirty-six  sides, 
measuring  three  hundred  and  seventy-four  feet 
in  diameter.  Below  is  a  larger  terrace,  square 
in  shape,  estimated  at  five  hundred  feet;  it  is 
underground,  while  above  it  is  another  of  the 
same  shape  as  the  middle  terrace,  from  which  it 
is  reached  by  stairways  on  each  of  the  four  sides. 
Some  years  ago  it  was  discovered  that  three  ter- 
races were  of  a  later  date  than  the  original  in- 
ternal structure,  which  is  more  slender  in  shape, 
and  that  they  were  constructed  in  order  to  sup- 


DIMENSIONS   OF   BORO   BOEDOR    161 

port  the  latter  when  it  began  to  show  signs  of 
settling.  The  base  of  the  lower  terrace  has  been 
exposed  in  places  in  order  to  obtain  photographs 
of  the  beautiful  bas-reliefs,  but  it  was  subse- 
quently covered,  inasmuch  as  it  would  have  been 
a  grave  mistake  to  run  the  risk  of  leaving  it 
permanently  exposed. 

The  building  above  the  three  terraces  consists 
of  four  parapeted  galleries,  erected  upon  the 
internal  walls  of  the  lower  gallery,  and  of  four 
upper  terraces,  the  three  highest  of  which  are 
circular.  The  topmost  terrace  is  crowned  by  a 
large  cupola,  or  dagoba.  The  Boro  Boedor, 
from  its  base  to  the  top  of  the  cupola,  has  a 
height  of  ninety-seven  feet,  while  the  elevation 
of  the  hill  to  the  lower  step  is  about  fifty-five 
feet,  making  a  total  of  one  hundred  and  fifty- 
two  feet.  Each  of  the  lower  galleries  is  about 
seven  feet  wide,  the  walls  on  either  side  being 
lined  with  sculptures  which,  if  they  could  be 
extended  in  a  line,  would  cover  three  miles. 
We  walked  around  the  galleries  and  ascended 
the  steps. 

In  the  lower  gallery  there  is,  beneath  every 
Buddha,  a  representation  of  a  man,  on  either 
side  of  which  are -groups  of  three  figures,  each 
bearing  lotus  flowers  and  fans. 

The  inner  circle  of  the  second  gallery  con- 
tains, in  the  upper  row,  bas-reliefs  representing 
scenes    connected    with    the    history    of    Prince 


162    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

Siddhartha  (Gautama)  from  his  infancy  to  the 
period  when  he  attained  Nirvana. 

The  third  gallery  wall  contains  one  hundred 
and  eighty  bas-reliefs,  depicting  the  apotheosis 
of  Buddha.  The  fourth,  in  eighty  different 
scenes,  pictures  the  rewards  given  to  kings  who 
have  been  Buddha  worshippers,  while  the  fifth 
contains  a  large  number  of  images  of  Buddha 
and  of  two  kings,  probably  the  founders  of  the 
temple.  Other  bas-reliefs  that  are  interspersed 
represent  fanciful  subjects  and  scenes  from  life 
or  are  illustrations  of  legends ;  one  of  the  latter 
deals  with  the  turtle,  which  is  regarded  as  sacred 
by  all  true  Buddhists. 

Staircases  ascend  from  gallery  to  gallery  in  a 
straight  line  on  each  of  four  sides.  These  have 
pointed  arches  with  carved  keystones,  and 
formerly  were  guarded  by  heavy  banisters  and 
carved  lions.  The  parapeted  walls  of  the  gal- 
leries were  once  decorated  with  four  hundred 
and  thirty-two  niches,  each  with  three  turrets, 
and  contained  four  hundred  and  thirty-two  life- 
sized  Buddhas,  seated  on  lotus  cushions. 

The  three  upper  circular  terraces  are  individu- 
ally adorned  with  thirty-two,  twenty-four,  and 
sixteen  openwork  bell-shaped  cupolas,  or  da- 
gobas,  each  containing  a  Buddha  in  sitting  pos- 
ture. Inside  this  circle  rises  the  central  dagoba 
of  huge,  imposing  dimensions,  the  final  crown  to 
the  whole  structure.     This  is  modelled  after  the 


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A  FAR   VIEW  163 

same  type  as  the  smaller  ones,  but  its  walls  rise 
perpendicularly  from  the  base,  which  has  the 
form  of  a  huge  lotus  cushion  in  a  beautiful  frame, 
and  ends  at  the  top  in  a  slightly  rounded  dome 
rising  at  least  twenty-seven  feet  above  the  high- 
est terrace.  Of  the  cone  which  formerly  sur- 
rounded this  dagoba  nothing  is  left  except  part 
of  the  pedestal,  a  stone  block  afterwards  fash- 
ioned into  a  seat  five  feet  high  by  ten  feet  broad. 
This  is  reached  by  some  rough  stone  steps.  The 
cupola,  or  dagoba,  was  at  one  time  entirely 
closed,  but  when  opened  some  years  ago  it  was 
found  to  contain  a  large  unfinished  figure  of 
Buddha. 

Our  party  climbed  to  the  seat  alluded  to,  and 
what  a  view  presented  itself !  —  a  wide  valley  or 
plain,  miles  in  extent,  surrounded  by  the  tower- 
ing Minoch  mountains  in  the  distance,  with 
lesser  mountains  seemingly  as  foothills,  but 
nevertheless  some  of  them  volcanic  craters; 
villages  almost  concealed  by  the  masses  of  foli- 
age, with  whole  tracts  of  palms  and  masses  of 
green,  —  and  all  bathed  in  the  glorious  sunlight. 
We  sat  spellbound,  and  finally  descended  the  long 
flight  of  stairs  feeling  we  had  had  a  morning's 
experience  which-  never  could  be  repeated.  In 
the  words  of  Dr.  Gronneman  (to  whom  we  owe 
a  debt  of  gratitude  for  his  explanations),  "up- 
wards of  a  thousand  years  have  since  rolled  over 
the  Boro  Boedor;   earthquakes  and  ash  showers 


164    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

have  disjointed  its  walls,  and  rank  vegetation 
has  disintegrated  its  foundation,  .  .  .  and  short- 
sighted fanatics  have  defaced  its  works  of  art, 
but  still  the  ruin  stands  there,  an  imposing  fact, 
a  powerful  creation  of  the  thinking  mind,  an 
epic  in  stone,  immortal  even  in  its  decadence." 

We  walked  to  the  pleasant  rest  house,  called 
Passagrahan,  for  our  luncheon.  Soon  the  rain 
which  had  threatened  us  fell  in  torrents,  but 
neither  this  fact  nor  any  other  obstacle  dimmed 
our  enthusiasm  as  we  sped  on  our  homeward 
way.  To  prove  my  own  absorption  in  the  day's 
programme  I  would  state  that  I  amused  the 
party  on  our  arrival  at  the  train  by  saying  to  our 
Malay  servant,  "Buddha,  will  you  take  my 
wrap.^"  his  name  being  Pandox. 

The  next  morning  I  drove  about  Djokjakarta 
in  search  of  photographs  and  found  the  place 
much  more  attractive  than  I  had  supposed. 
One  long  avenue  of  trees  in  particular  im- 
pressed me;  on  alternate  sides  were  the  tama- 
rind and  the  canary  tree,  forming  a  perfect  arch 
overhead.  This  continued  for  a  long  way,  and 
there  were  various  other  shaded  streets  that 
attracted  my  attention. 

Djokjakarta  is  a  place  of  importance,  the 
capital  of  a  native  State;  the  Sultan  preserves 
some  semblance  of  power  and  lives  in  regal  style, 
keeping  up  all  the  ceremonials  of  his  high  of- 
fice.   This  was  one  of  the  last  provinces  to  yield 


is 


LIFE   IN   DJOKJAKARTA  165 

to  Dutch  rule.  There  is  a  Dutch  resident  to 
whom  the  Sultan  must  pay  deference  and  from 
whom  he  accepts  advice.  We  did  not  see  the 
Sultan,  but  we  saw  four  sons  of  his  out  driving, 
dressed  in  red  and  each  carrying  a  red  silk  um- 
brella, the  emblem  of  royalty. 

The  life  at  Djokjakarta  is  much  like  that  of 
old  Java,  and  the  peasants  are  said  to  be  of  a 
higher  type  than  those  corresponding  to  the 
coolie  class  in  India  and  Ceylon,  many  of  this 
class  in  Java  being  Sudanese.  There  are  sev- 
eral strains  of  blood  in  Java,  and  a  mixture  of 
Arab  ancestry  with  Mohammedan  faith ;  for 
centuries,  Java  passed  through  many  transi- 
tions, and  it  would  be  interesting  to  trace  her 
history  backward. 

Djokjakarta  being  but  twelve  miles  from  the 
Indian  Ocean,  the  heat  is  never  oppressive,  and 
the  breezes  from  sea  and  mountain  produce  an 
agreeable  temperature,  as  I  found  one  morning, 
much  to  my  delight.  The  bazars  were  not  en- 
ticing, but  there  were  various  attractive  articles 
for  sale  at  the  hotel,  —  cardcases  made  with  tiny 
feathers,  portemonnaies,  woven  baskets,  and, 
above  all,  sarongs,  the  product  of  a  large  factory 
near  by,  which  has  Jbeen  fostered  by  English  and 
Dutch  women  as  a  kind  of  philanthropy  for  the 
teaching  and  employment  of  girls,  as  the  ''man- 
ageress "  at  the  hotel  explained  to  us.  These 
sarongs  are  four  and  a  half  yards  long  by  one 


166    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

and  one-half  wide,  the  fabric,  though  heavier, 
being  similar  to  calico.  The  })atterns  are  quite 
artistic,  and  the  process  of  designing,  drawing, 
stamping,  and  weaving  is  complicated. 

The  Water  Castel  w  as  formerly  like  a  summer- 
house  in  an  Oriental  garden,  with  its  under- 
ground chambers  and  all  manner  of  appliances 
for  luxurious  ease.  It  has  now  fallen  into  decay ; 
the  aqueducts  and  fountains  are  stilled;  the 
statues  are  covered  with  moss,  and  the  gardens 
are  a  perfect  tangle.  It  was  the  device  of  a 
Portuguese  architect  of  a  century  ago. 

The  streets  were  less  crowded  in  Djokjakarta 
than  one  would  expect  in  a  city  which  ranks  the 
fifth  in  Java;  everywhere  there  were  groups  of 
really  happy-faced  children,  and  mothers  look- 
ing like  mere  girls,  with  infants  carried  usually 
on  the  left  hip,  sometimes  in  a  sling  over  the 
shoulders.  In  Java,  as  in  other  countries  we 
have  visited,  there  is  no  middle-aged  class 
among  the  women ;  they  are  either  young  or 
old,  although  in  reality  not  old.  One  is  consider- 
ably handicapped  in  Java  unless  Dutch  or  the 
dialect  can  be  spoken,  for,  in  learning  from  others 
the  true  inwardness  of  things,  we  are  powerless 
without  language,  however  much  we  might  supply 
certain  physical  needs  by  the  use  of  pantomime. 

-♦- 

Maos,  February  25th :  At  2  p.  m.  on  the  25th 
of  February,  we  took  the  train  for  Maos,  in  order 


A  NIGHT  IN   MAOS  167 

to  break  the  long  railway  journey  to  Batavia. 
The  ride  of  three  and  a  half  hours  carried  us 
through  the  same  diversified  landscape  of  fertile 
fields  or  plains  of  rice,  palms,  and  bamboo,  with 
mountains  in  the  distance.  One  feature,  how- 
ever, deserves  special  mention ;  it  was  a  country 
roadway,  visible  at  frequent  intervals  for  at  least 
two  hours,  and  lined  on  each  side  with  tall  trees 
which  met  in  many  arches.  This  was  evidently 
a  highway  or  postroad,  worthy  of  emulation  in 
other  lands,  and  planned  by  the  Government,  a 
veritable  blessing  to  man  and  beast. 

We  passed  a  comfortable  night  in  Maos  at 
the  Government  rest  house,  Staats,  and  left  at 
the  early  hour  of  6  A.  M.  for  a  return  journey 
to  Batavia.  We  found  that  when  we  reached 
a  junction,  our  train  diverged  over  a  new  route, 
giving  us  a  different  outlook,  not  unlike  our 
first  experience,  but,  it  seemed,  with  finer  moun- 
tain scenery.  First  we  climbed  to  an  altitude  of 
about  twenty-two  hundred  feet;  then  gradually 
descended,  our  objective  point,  Batavia,  being  at 
sea-level.  Many  of  the  high  mountains  showed 
cultivation  to  the  very  top,  while  the  plains  with 
their  alternate  groups  of  bamboo,  cocoanut,  and 
other  palms,  were, green  with  the  new  rice  crop, 
the  cultivation  of  this  commodity  being  different 
in  Java  from  that  in  Burma.  Great  care  is 
expended  on  the  culture  of  the  rice,  the  tiny 
plants  first  being  put  in  small  wet  enclosures; 


168    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

then,  when  sufficiently  developed,  they  are 
planted  separately  by  the  small  arrny  of  workers, 
in  receptacles  made  for  them,  and  set  with  the 
greatest  regularity.  The  workers  consist  usually 
of  women  or  young  girls,  and  the  varied  colors 
of  their  dress  —  or  undress  —  presented  a  marked 
feature.  We  also  saw  more  coffee  cultivated 
than  on  any  previous  route,  and  it  is  to  be  re- 
gretted that  the  blight  of  ten  years  ago  has  taken 
this  old  form  of  industry  from  the  Javanese. 
Strange  as  it  may  seem,  we  had  no  Java  coffee 
in  Java,  the  land  of  the  celebrated  brand;  nor 
did  we  see  anything  but  a  very  strong  extract  of 
coffee  (to  which  was  added  a  large  quantity  of 
milk),  good  and  convenient,  no  doubt,  but  not  at 
all  like  the  real  article. 

We  arrived  in  Batavia  during  the  afternoon; 
the  hotel  wore  a  homelike  air,  and  we  passed  a 
restful  twenty-four  hours  with  only  a  drive  as 
the  regular  programme.  I  have  already  treated 
of  the  marked  natural  advantages  of  Java,  and 
of  the  temples ;  too  much  cannot  be  said  of  this 
"Garden  of  the  East,"  with  its  varied  landscape 
of  alternating  mountains  and  plains,  its  wealth 
of  trees  in  myriad  forms,  its  shrubs  which  in 
their  luxuriance  seem  tree-like,  and  its  tangle  of 
vines  and  blossoming  flowers.  But  it  appeared 
to  me  as  if  this  holiday  side  of  nature  and  the 
workaday  aspect  of  the  life  in  Java  did  not  har- 
monize, and  I  wondered  if  this  condition  was 


<3 


THE   PROBLEMS   OF   JAVA       169 

caused  by  Dutch  thrift  being  grafted  on  to  the 
native  Javanese  temperament,  which  in  its  in- 
cipiency  was  simple  and  disinchned  to  much 
exertion.  Certain  it  is  that  the  women  of  Java, 
while  apparently  contented,  look  careworn  and 
have  deep  lines  in  their  faces,  and  the  per- 
fect cultivation  of  the  soil,^  which  is  largely  done 
by  women,  shows  that  constant  toil  must  be  re- 
quired of  them.  Added  to  this  is  the  care  of  a 
bevy  of  little  ones  —  more  infants  to  the  square 
yard  than  I  had  ever  seen  before. 

These  true  children  of  Nature  are  seemingly 
trusting  and  believing,  and  they  ask  no  better 
fate  than  they  have.  The  question  obtrudes 
itself,  Would  life  have  been  easier  if  the  English 
had  not  again  ceded  Java  to  Holland  in  1816, 
after  only  a  five  years'  tenure  ?  This  query  re- 
garding the  Orient  in  general  also  comes  up :  Is 
it  better  to  leave  the  peoples  undisturbed  in 
their  ignorance  of  the  broader  life  and  higher 
conditions,  or  to  try  to  teach  them  ways  foreign 
to  their  nature,  —  efforts  which  might  end  in 
failure.^  This  is  the  problem  that  confronts  the 
philanthropist  at  every  turn,  and  were  it  not  for 
the  possibility  of  alleviating  the  condition  of 
womanhood,  it  ipight  be  well  to  abandon  all 
charitable  effort.  Scientists  believe,  neverthe- 
less, that  while  it  will  be  a  slow,  laborious  pro- 

^  There  has  been  a  yearly  revenue  of  $20,000,000  for 
some  time. 


170    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

cess,  much  can  be  done  in  time ;  it  behooves  us 
who  have  our  homes  in  a  country  where  it  is  a 
pleasure  to  live  not  to  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  appeals 
like  that  made  by  Ramabai,  who  at  Pina,  near 
Bombay,  is  laboring  to  uplift  the  condition  of 
child  widows  in  India.  The  great  volume  of 
missionary  effort  is  also  turned  in  the  same  di- 
rection, and  through  schools  and  hospitals  the 
social  workers  are  paving  the  way  toward  better 
conditions,  in  spite  of  the  criticism  of  some  who 
derisively  speak  of  the  failure  to  "save  souls," 
without  thinking  that  the  first  step  is  to  eman- 
cipate the  body. 

When  I  regard  the  condition  of  the  women 
of  the  Orient,  I  feel  like  starting  an  immediate 
crusade  —  in  Egypt  they  are  slaves  or  toys ;  in 
India,  bound  by  the  iron  laws  of  custom  and 
caste,  sad  and  dejected;  in  Burma,  happy  be- 
cause independent  on  business  and  property 
lines,  thanks  to  the  English  Government;  in 
Ceylon,  cheerful  but  with  no  recognized  posi- 
tions; in  Java,  children  of  toil;  in  Siam,  fear- 
less and  intrepid  in  temperament,  but  subject  to 
the  conditions  of  the  Orient;  in  China,  Man- 
churia, and  Korea,  seemingly  impassive  but 
bound  by  traditional  customs,  enforced  for  cen- 
turies ;  in  Japan,  bright  and  winsome,  true  chil- 
dren of  Nature,  still  held  by  the  customs  of  years, 
however  much  the  barriers  arc  being  broken 
down  by  the  progressive  policy  of  the  country. 


ft? 

is 


A   JAVA   CART  171 

As  tourists  remaining  but  a  short  time  in  a 
place,  we  did  not  have  the  pleasure  of  meeting 
the  higher  class  of  women  in  any  of  the  coun- 
tries visited,  but  I  saw  a  Javanese  lady  in 
Kyoto  who  dined  several  times  with  an  English 
lady;  her  self-possession  and  dignity  of  manner 
were  pleasant  to  note,  while  her  responsive 
smile  showed  quick  intelligence.  She  had  been 
the  wife  of  an  English  gentleman  for  twenty 
years,  but  still  wore  the  graceful  kimona,  which 
showed  her  good  sense.  Strange  as  it  may 
seem,  the  founder  of  Buddhism,  with  all  his 
teaching  of  love  to  mankind,  filial  duty,  kind- 
ness to  animals,  and  moral  precepts  in  general, 
failed  to  extend  to  women,  for  whom  he  is  said 
to  have  had  little  respect,  any  encouragement 
other  than  the  abolishing  of  the  law  of  caste. 
But,  notwithstanding,  he  had  many  women  fol- 
lowers, some  even  becoming  nuns. 

The  vehicles  of  the  countries  we  visited  were 
always  individual,  and  I  have  failed  to  allude  to 
the  peculiar  sadoe  of  Java,  a  two-wheeled  cart 
drawn  by  a  small  horse,  a  seat  for  four  persons 
being  placed  over  the  axle.  The  driver  is  com- 
fortable, but  the  passengers  with  no  backs  for 
support  are  tossed  about  unmercifully.  This 
sadoe  has  a  canopy  top ;  it  is  like  the  jinrikisha, 
convenient  for  a  shopping  excursion,  but  I  pity 
any  one  who  attempts  to  take  a  long  drive  in  it ! 
One  morning  I  went  out  alone,  and  in  turning 


172    TRAVELS  IN  THE   FAR  EAST 

a  street  corner  I  was  nearly  thrown  and  my 
packages  flew  in  every  direction.  I  felt  that  I 
needed  a  little  sympathy,  but  the  imperturbable 
Dutch  coachman(?)  never  even  smiled,  so  I 
concluded  it  was  an  every-day  occurrence.  A 
dignitary  with  attendants  on  each  side  carrying 
umbrellas  is  amusing. 

The  variety  of  fruit  is  greater  in  Java  than 
anywhere  else  we  had  been;  the  bananas,  how- 
ever, while  fine  to  look  upon  were  coarse  and 
had  little  flavor;  the  pineapples  were  not  as  ex- 
cellent as  in  Ceylon,  nor  were  the  mangosteens. 
A  photograph  I  have  shows  at  least  twenty-five 
varieties  of  fruit;  the  pisang  being  universally 
used,  as  well  as  the  rambutan,  durian,  pomalo, 
and  papaya.  The  breadfruit  and  jackfruit  grow 
to  enormous  size. 

At  luncheon  (riz  taffel)  I  again  noticed  a  pecu- 
liar dish  being  served.  This  consisted  of  rice, 
vegetables  of  various  sorts,  four  or  five  kinds  of 
meat,  and  a  wonderful  mixture  of  condiments, 
the  variety  sometimes  including  twenty,  all 
placed  in  one  receptacle  similar  to  a  deep  soup- 
plate  and  evidently  enjoyed  by  the  partakers; 
this  was  only  one  course  of  the  luncheon  ! 

The  Dutch  ways  of  dressing  in  Java  are  truly 
remarkable;  for  instance,  sarongs,  thin  jackets, 
and  almost  bare  feet  were  often  seen  in  a 
dining-room.  To  me  the  culmination  of  this 
unconventionality  came  later;    the  heat  was  so 


J  Java7iese  digfiitary  and  his  attendants 


CROSSING  THE   EQUATOR       173 

oppressive  that  after  luncheon  I  was  glad  to 
enjoy  a  rocker  on  my  gallery,  and  might  have 
envied  the  couple  on  the  adjoining  gallery  had 
I  been  differently  educated.  For,  strangely, 
the  lady  wore  only  a  sarong  of  thin  material,  a 
diaphanous  jacket,  and  very  low  sandals;  she 
might  almost  have  posed  as  a  life  model.  As  a 
foil,  her  husband  appeared  in  pajamas. 

At  3  p.  M.  on  February  22nd,  we  took  a  train 
for  Priok  port,  which  was  nine  miles  distant. 
The  steamer  Orange  (of  the  Dutch  line)  was 
waiting  for  us,  and  we  were  soon  sailing  for 
Singapore.  Once  more  we  passed  the  equator 
without  one  thrill  of  excitement,  and,  after 
thirty-six  hours,  were  at  Singapore,  where  we 
were  at  once  transferred  to  the  steamer  Nuen- 
tung  (the  Chinese  for  "good  luck").  North 
German  Lloyd  line,  bound  for  Bangkok,  Siam, 
the  trip  requiring  four  and  a  half  days.  The 
steamer  was  small  and  only  fairly  comfortable; 
the  service  was  Chinese.  A  pleasant  feature  of 
the  arrangement  was  an  improvised  dining-room 
on  the  upper  deck ;  here  all  our  meals  were  served, 
and  most  of  our  time  passed,  the  temperature 
being  high  enough  to  prevent  the  chilling  of  the 
food,  which  is  an- indication  that  the  heat  must 
have  been  rather  oppressive  when  in  our  state- 
rooms. Hence  two-thirds  of  the  passengers  slept 
on  deck,  resulting  at  about  nine  in  the  evening 
in  a  veritable  transformation  scene.    In  India  we 

25 


174    TRAVELS   IN   TPIE   FAR  EAST 

had  escaped  insects  and  reptiles ;  we  were  very 
fortunate  also  in  Burma,  with  only  a  few  singing 
lizards  in  Ceylon ;  but  on  this  steamer  the  cock- 
roaches which  appeared  at  night  were  marvellous 
in  size  and  blackness.  Once  I  imagined  there 
was  one  on  my  pillow,  and  turning  on  the  elec- 
tric light,  found  I  was  mistaken,  but  there  were 
a  dozen  or  more  on  the  washstand  and  walls  — 
very  animated  specimens,  to  judge  by  the  way 
they  fled. 

From  the  Strait  of  Malacca  we  passed  into 
the  China  Sea,  thence  to  the  Gulf  of  Siam,  and 
lastly  to  the  broad  Menam  River,  with  banks 
showing  masses  of  foliage,  and  with  tiny  Siamese 
villages  or  isolated  houses  built  close  to  the 
water's  edge,  supported  on  piles,  with  thatched 
roofs  and  sides. 

-♦- 

Bangkok,  March  Uh:  Arriving  at  Bangkok, 
we  took  the  steamer  launch  for  the  Oriental 
Hotel,  which  is  situated  on  the  river-bank.  The 
canals  leading  out  of  the  river  reminded  us  of 
Batavia.    A  drive  in  the  afternoon  of  our  arrival, 

accompanied  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  ,  a  medical 

missionary,  as  a  non-professional  guide,  was  a 
new  experience  and  an  agreeable  one,  for  during 
the  afternoon  and  evening  we  learned  many 
things  about  the  King  that  a  native  guide  would 
not  have  told  us.  The  report  showed  the  King 
to  be  j)rogressive  in  his  tendencies;    as  the  re- 


The  King  of  Siam 


SIAMESE   HISTORY  175 

suit  of  several  trips  to  Europe,  he  has  introduced 
railways,  telegraph  and  modern  business  appli-- 
ances,  and  is  making  a  great  effort  to  beautify 
the  city  and  to  improve  sanitary  conditions,  hav- 
ing employed  French  engineers  for  that  purpose. 

I  think  it  might  be  well  to  give  a  slight  histori- 
cal background  in  order  the  better  to  understand 
the  conditions  of  Siam.  It  is  thought  that  the 
aborigines  of  Siam  were  driven  out  by  Laos 
tribes  from  the  North  and  that  they  then  adopted 
the  name  Thai  as  a  sign  of  victory,  Siam  signi- 
fying progress. 

In  1350,  Ayuthia,  a  few  miles  north  of  Bang- 
kok, became  the  capital ;  for  three  centuries 
Siam  was  prosperous  and  opened  trade  relations 
with  China.  There  were,  however,  many  raids 
and  much  fighting  until  1536,  when  the  King  was 
taken  prisoner. 

The  Portuguese  commenced  trading  with 
Siam  early  in  the  sixteenth  century,  and  soon 
after  gave  the  Siamese  military  aid  against  their 
border  foes,  the  troops  coming  from  Goa.  As  a 
reward  for  their  services  they  were  o*ffered  land 
on  which  to  settle.  Later,  the  soldiers  married 
Siamese  women  and  became  domesticated.  As 
they  had  brought  their  Catholic  priests  with 
them,  conversion  of  the  natives  followed,  and 
some  of  the  old  settlements  retain  their  .Chris- 
tian character  to  this  day. 

A  few  years  after  the  Portuguese  advent,  the 


176    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

Dutch  came,  but  the  English  did  not  arrive  until 
1620,  and  during  the  latter  part  of  the  seven- 
teenth century  the  three  nations  were  seeking 
trade  relations.  Great  toleration  and  friendliness 
to  other  countries  seemed  to  have  been  prac- 
ticed even  in  that  early  day;  French  mission- 
aries were  also  welcomed.  Soon  after,  a  Siamese 
embassy  left  with  presents  for  King  Louis  of 
France,  but  they  were  shipwrecked  on  the  way. 
Later,  another  embassy  went  to  Versailles,  and 
Louis  XIV,  much  flattered,  sent  a  return  em- 
bassy, which  was  accorded  a  great  reception  in 
Lopburi,  where  a  treaty  was  signed  in  1605, 
sanctioning  the  presence  of  French  missionaries. 
There  were  several  subsequent  upheavals  at 
Ayuthia,  and  in  1767  the  city  fell  under  the 
strong  Burman  attack ;  thus  ended  the  third 
dynasty  of  Siamese  kings.  The  Burmans,  how- 
ever, were  soon  conquered,  and  the  capital  was 
moved  to  Bangkok.  In  the  middle  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  treaties  Avere  made  with  Great 
Britain  and  the  other  important  powers,  while 
Cambodia  was  ceded  to  France. 

The  present  monarch,  Chulalongkorn,  as- 
cended the  throne  in  1868,  and  has  since  gov- 
erned the  country  consistently  and  well.  In 
May,  1874,  a  political  constitution  was  adopted. 
The  King  began  his  reign  by  decreeing  that 
slavery  be  abolished,  and  he  instituted  several 
other  reforms.     For  many  years  troublous  times 


SIAM'S   PROGRESS  177 

with  France  ensued ;  this  finally  aroused  the  in- 
dignation of  England,  and  in  1896  an  Anglo- 
French  agreement  was  signed  in  London,  by 
which  both  countries  guaranteed  to  maintain 
the  integrity  of  the  Menam  valley. 

Siam  has  during  the  past  few  years  made 
rapid  progress  in  the  adoption  of  Western  ways 
and  Western  ideals,  thanks  to  the  progressive 
King,  and  this  is  attracting  visitors  from  Europe 
and  America  more  and  more.  The  country's 
position  has  kept  it  rather  isolated ;  it  is  out  of 
the  beaten  track,  and  is  situated  between  the  great 
commercial  ports  of  Singapore  and  Hong-Kong. 
Until  recently  it  could  not  be  reached  by  any 
passenger  steamship  lines.  One's  impression  of 
the  kingdom  must  be  formed  largely  from  Bang- 
kok, as  the  mountain  districts  offer  no  facilities 
for  the  comfort  of  visitors,  being  a  decided  con- 
trast to  Ceylon,  Burma,  and  Java  in  this  respect. 

The  area  of  Siam  is  about  two  hundred  thou- 
sand square  miles,  and  the  population  is  over 
six  million,  —  mostly  native,  for  there  are  not 
over  twenty  thousand  representatives  of  other 
powers  in  the  kingdom,  nor  are  there  more  than 
two  thousand  Europeans. 

Bangkok,  like  'Rangoon,  has  enormous  ex- 
ports of  rice,  teak,  and  many  other  commodities ; 
there  are  large  rice  factories,  and  we  saw  the 
elephants  dragging  logs  to  the  river,  as  in  Ran- 
goon, whence  they  are  brought  on  rafts  to  the 


178    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR   EAST 

immense  saw-mills.  Unfortunately,  a  shallow 
bar  at  the  mouth  of  the  Menam  River  prevents 
the  passage  of  large  vessels.  Therefore  much  of 
the  cargo  has  to  be  carried  to  Koh-si-Chang, 
outside  the  bar,  a  distance  of  fifty  miles.  Koh- 
si-Chang  is  quite  a  favorite  resort  for  the  Euro- 
peans, Aughin  on  the  coast  being  another.  In 
the  latter  place  there  is  a  large  sanitarium. 

The  revenue  of  Siam  has  been  mostly  derived 
from  the  so-termed  gambling  and  opium  farms. 
The  gambling-houses  were  formerly  great  sights 
in  the  country,  but,  according  to  the  authority 
of  a  gentleman,  gambling  has  now  been  almost 
entirely  abolished  in  the  kingdom,  through  the 
strenuous  efforts  of  the  King.  He,  however,  has 
been  unable  to  effect  this  reform  in  Bangkok. 
For  some  time  Siam  has  had  a  proposal  before 
the  powers  which  import  goods  to  the  effect  that 
the  Government  be  allowed  an  import  duty  of 
two  per  cent,  which  would  furnish  the  needed 
revenue  for  State  expenses  and  thus  enable  the 
Government  to  abolish  gambling  in  Bangkok  al- 
together. Thus  far,  the  King's  proposition  has 
not  been  accepted,  showing  that  the  interest  of 
foreign  powers  controls  affairs  in  Siam  as  well  as 
in  other  more  civilized  countries. 

We  visited  several  places  of  interest  that  first 

afternoon  with  Dr.  W as  an  excellent  guide, 

going  first  to  the  Chinese  quarter,  and  then  tak- 
ing a  general  drive.    We  passed  many  attractive 


DUSIT   PARK  179 

points,  particularly  in  the  direction  of  the  new 
section  of  the  city,  of  which  Dusit  Park  is  the 
centre.  This  is  laid  out  in  the  fashion  of  a  park 
in  a  European  capital,  having  walks,  masses  of 
foliage,  and  conventional  features  in  the  arrange- 
ment of  flowers  and  shrubs.  What  with  the 
tropical  growth,  it  will  soon  excel  any  model 
the  King  may  have  seen  in  his  European  tour. 

A  new  palace  is  situated  near  the  park,  and  as 
soon  as  this  was  begun,  a  real-estate  development 
was  started  around  it;  the  jungle  disappeared, 
roads  were  laid  out,  and  buildings  sprang  up. 
Dusit  Park  is  now  the  scene  of  many  activities, 
and  a  fancy  fair  is  held  there  every  year,  with 
a  view  to  secure  funds  for  the  building  of  the 
new  Wat,  or  temple,  which  is  adjacent,  the  old 
one  showing  signs  of  decadence. 

Buddhism  is  the  State  religion,  and  the  King 
is  an  ardent  devotee;  new^  Wats  are  in  constant 
process  of  erection,  and  those  in  existence  are 
lavishly  decorated.  The  new  temple  alluded  to 
shows  European  influence  in  its  arrangement, 
having  a  cloister  around  a  square  court  in  the 
rear.  Two  other  temples  were  visited,  and  a 
further  drive  taken.  On  our  return  we  went 
to  the  place  of  places  in  Bangkok,  thoroughly 
Chinese  in  character,  —  a  combination  of  gam- 
bling-den, chop-house,  and  theatre,  covering  in 
space  about  a  block.  The  gambling-den  was 
dimly  lighted,  and  on  the  floor  in  a  large  circle 


180    TRAVELS  IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

were  seated  men  and  women,  either  playing  the 
game  of  fan-tan  or  anxiously  awaiting  their  turn. 
I  did  not  understand  the  game,  but  the  haggard 
expressions  and  restless  attitudes  around  me 
told  a  tale  of  dissipation  and  ruin.  We  remained 
only  a  few  moments,  then  passed  into  the  chop- 
house,  which  was  crowded  and  where  eatables 
of  the  Chinese  type  were  en  evidence  in  every 
direction.  The  theatre  was  not  yet  open,  but  it 
was  spacious,  with  a  large  stage.  This  compound 
is  only  one  of  several,  and  while  mainly  patronized 
by  Chinese,  many  Siamese  and  people  of  other 
nationalities  are  drawn  in.  Tales  similar  to 
those  heard  in  Monte  Carlo  could  be  related.  It 
is  to  be  hoped  that  erelong  the  King  will  bring 
about  some  measure  to  abolish  this  standing 
menace  to  the  morals  of  the  community. 

A  pleasant  dinner  and  much  discussion  fol- 
lowed. We  learned  that  there  were  fine  hos- 
pitals   and   schools    under   different   missionary 

auspices.    Dr.    W being    Presbyterian.     To 

prove  the  success  of  the  so-called  Christian  effort, 
he  stated  that  the  King  gave  every  encourage- 
ment to  all  denominations,  and  also  donated 
money  to  aid  in  building  churches,  feeling  that 
their  influence  in  the  country  was  good. 

The  Roman  Catholics  on  account  of  their 
priority  have  a  wide  field  in  Siam ;  they  have 
erected  about  sixty  churches  in  the  kingdom. 
But  there   are,  nevertheless,  several  Protestant 


^^i^M^^O^^^^                  ^^^^^^V^^^^l 

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ROYAL  HALLS   OF  AUDIENCE    181 

churches  of  different  denominations  in  Bangkok 
and  in  the  interior.  A  special  permit  is  necessary 
before  visiting  Wang  Chang,  the  royal  palace,  a 
point  of  much  interest.  The  walls  around  the 
building  enclose  a  wide  area,  including  the  old 
mint  and  various  Government  departments.  Just 
in  the  rear  of  the  Department  of  the  Interior, 
the  sacred  white  elephants  are  to  be  found,  five 
in  number.  They  are,  however,  at  present  pale 
gray  (whatever  they  may  have  been  in  the  past) , 
which  detracts  somewhat  from  the  validity  of 
the  previous  statement.  Each  animal  has  a 
house  to  himself,  is  greatly  petted,  and  it  is 
expected  that  the  elephants  will  be  treated 
by  visitors  to  bananas,  and  the  attendants  to 
cigarettes. 

Approaching  the  palace,  the  Royal  Halls  of 
Audience  are  the  most  striking  feature.  The 
building  in  which  they  are  to  be  found  is  very 
large  and  of  a  semi-classic  style  of  architecture, 
the  Italian  and  Siamese  being  blended.  These 
halls  are  the  only  portions  of  the  palace  to  which 
visitors  are  admitted.  Fronting  this  building  on 
the  opposite  side  of  a  half  square  stand  several 
small  buildings  of  a  pleasing  style.  These  con- 
tain antique  articles,  such  as  boats,  bronze  can- 
non, and  other  relics  in  bronze. 

One  of  the  most  striking  features  in  this 
palace  enclosure  is  Prakeo,  the  royal  temple. 
Its  entrance  is  unique,  while  the  Chinese  **  Devil 


182    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

Protectors  "  at  each  side  are  grotesque.  The 
temple  also  contains  the  celebrated  emerald 
Buddha,  a  figure,  eighteen  inches  high,  made 
from  the  largest  emerald  known  in  the  world. 
There  is,  moreover,  an  exquisite  small  gold 
Buddha  in  a  glass  case,  besides  many  rare  vases 
and  other  articles  with,  of  course,  the  usual 
Buddhas  in  the  shrine.  Next  to  the  palace  is  a 
recreation  ground,  called  Premane,  where  golf 
is  played.  The  race  track,  however,  has  been 
removed  to  Sapatoom.  A  very  fine  Wat  Poh 
near  the  palace  contains  an  immense  sleeping 
Buddha  and  many  other  interesting  features,  one 
of  which  is  a  small  painted  dado  illustrating  the 
legend  of  Rama. 

The  royal  museum,  Wang  Nah,  is  near  the 
royal  palace.  It  is  full  to  repletion  with  objects 
of  interest,  especially  to  the  ethnologist  and  to 
the  archaeologist.  Some  of  the  treasures  are  al- 
most beyond  price  in  value,  but  they  are  not  very 
well  displayed.  The  galleries  are  open  to  the 
public,  free  of  charge,  and  the  visitors'  book  is 
quite  interesting,  as  it  contains  the  signatures  of 
a  number  of  royalties  and  celebrities.  Several 
of  the  attendants  spoke  excellent  English  and 
were  most  courteous  in  their  explanations. 

Fronting  the  royal  palace  are  the  artillery  and 
royal  body-guard  barracks  and  the  Hall  of  the 
Ambassadors,  where  distinguished  visitors  are 
entertained  during  their  stay.     Not  far  distant 


I- 


BUILDINGS  IN   BANGKOK        183 

are  the  royal  Courts  of  Justice,  a  Doric  building, 
whose  interior  is  arranged  in  European  style. 
The  State  barges  are  kept  near  the  museum  and 
across  the  river.  Some  of  them  are  very  large 
and  have  room  for  one  hundred  rowers,  whilst 
most  of  them  are  very  ancient.  These  boats  are 
used  in  the  State  functions  on  the  river.  Almost 
directly  opposite  the  palace  is  a  naval  dockyard. 
It  is  not  large  compared  with  those  of  Europe 
and  America,  but  a  great  variety  of  work  is  car- 
ried on.  There  are  large  machine  shops  and 
spacious  quarters  for  officers  and  marines,  a 
graving  dock  capable  of  accommodating  vessels 
of  large  size,  and  an  ice  factory  which  supplies 
the  navy  and  the  royal  palace.  There  is  also  a 
fine  Royal  Military  College  in  Siam.  Other 
Government  departments  show  the  great  progress 
of  the  country,  particularly  when  it  is  remem- 
bered that  fifty  years  ago  Bangkok  had  no 
facilities   whatsoever. 

In  the  afternoon  we  took  a  steam  launch  to  ex- 
plore different  canals.  The  first  we  visited  in 
order  to  acquaint  ourselves  with  the  traffic  and 
with  various  kinds  of  boats,  some  being  loaded 
at  warehouses  along  the  way.  The  buildings 
were  very  unusual,  as  were  the  sights  on  the 
water.  We  then  went  on  the  river  Menam,  to 
visit  certain  temples.  Among  these  were  Wat 
Saket,  which  stands  on  the  summit  of  an  arti- 
ficial hill  and  commands  a  fine  view;    and  Wat 

26 


184    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

Kanayat,  where  there  was  a  collection  of  porce- 
lain-trimmed temples  and  pagodas.  We  at- 
tended a  short,  intoned  Buddhist  service  in  one 
of  the  temples.  In  another,  Wat  Cheng,  we  had 
our  fortunes  told  in  the  following  manner:  we 
each  drew  from  a  vase  a  long,  narrow  slip  of 
paper  with  a  number  on  it,  then  we  proceeded 
to  a  priest,  robed  in  yellow  silk,  presented  our 
number,  paid  a  fee,  and  in  return  received  a 
pink  paper  containing  a  great  many  hiero- 
glyphics, which  our  guide  was  able  to  interpret. 
Each  fortune  was  rather  peculiar  and  diver- 
sified in  details.  We,  however,  did  not  attach 
any  importance  to  what  was  told  us. 

The  roofs  of  some  of  the  Wats  are  very  hand- 
some, the  parti-colored  tiles  of  which  they  are 
composed  adding  to  their  effect,  whilst  the 
pointed  upturned  gables,  a  feature  peculiar  to 
Siamese  architecture,  also  added  in  no  small 
degree  to  their  picturesqueness. 

All  the  principal  Wats  are  accessible  to  visitors, 
but  it  is  necessary  to  have  with  you  a  guide  who 
can  explain  the  different  features.  Sometimes 
the  priests  have  a  knowledge  of  English.  Many 
of  the  Wats  are  suffering  greatly  from  the  rav- 
ages of  time,  and  some  are  almost  ruined.  Of 
course  this  applies  to  the  more  remote  temples, 
those  in  the  vicinity  of  the  palace  being  beauti- 
fully cared  for.  The  King  and  other  members 
of  the  royal  family  spend  vast  sums  upon  the 


SACRED   PALM-LEAF   BOOKS     185 

temples ;  nobles  and  wealthy  Siamese  likewise 
contribute  largely  to  the  funds,  but  all  their  ef- 
forts are  not  sufficient  to  keep  the  numberless 
places  in  proper  condition. 

The  King,  who  is  now  the  sole  reigning  Bud- 
dhist monarch,  takes  the  greatest  interest  in  the 
maintenance  of  his  faith  and  everything  belong- 
ing to  it.  He  is  an  ardent  Pali  scholar,  and  has 
established  a  college  for  the  study  of  that  an- 
cient language.  Nearly  every  State  function 
which  takes  place  within  the  palace  walls  is 
associated  with  some  religious  service,  and  the 
Buddhist  faith  seems  to  be  deeply  rooted  in  the 
heart  of  the  Siamese  people.  The  sacred  books 
used  in  the  temples  are  of  palm-leaf,  similar  in 
style  to  those  seen  in  Burma ;  a  large  number  of 
women  are  employed  in  a  factory  for  their  man- 
ufacture, while  many  men  are  also  there  for  the 
purpose  of  engraving  characters  on  the  palm-leaf 
with  a  set  of  special  implements. 

It  had  been  a  perfect  afternoon,  and  the  shores 
of  the  broad  river  Menam  (meaning  "Mother  of 
Waters  ")  were  more  than  usually  interesting  on 
account  of  the  novel  architectural  display, 
temples  alternating  with  buildings  of  various  de- 
scriptions, most  of  them  gleaming  white  in  the 
sun.  We  made  a  detour  into  the  Klong  Canal, 
which  led  out  of  the  river  some  miles  from  our 
starting-point.  Soon  we  had  an  entirely  differ- 
ent type  of  scenery,  similar  to  the  jungle;  dense 


186    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

vegetation  came  quite  to  the  edge  of  the  canal. 
In  places  there  would  be  two,  three,  or  even 
more  Siamese  houses  built  high  on  piles,  with 
thatched  roofs  and  sides  and  an  open  front,  the 
home  life  of  the  inmates  being  distinctly  seen 
through  the  open  front.  Of  course  our  launch 
served  to  collect  all  the  curious  in  groups,  from 
infants  to  grandparents.  Ever  and  anon  tiny 
boats  passed  us,  the  rowers  singing  or  twanging 
some  kind  of  an  instrument  with  that  happy  un- 
consciousness of  responsibility  which  seems  to 
characterize  the  Siamese,  reminding  one  of  the 
days  in  Rangoon. 

We  came  at  last  to  a  point  where  navigation 
was  impeded  because  of  a  large  vessel  aground, 
and  after  skilful  manoeuvring  and  some  min- 
utes' delay,  our  launch  proceeded  on  the  home- 
ward way.  Night  was  upon  us  before  we  left 
the  canal,  and  as  the  twilight  faded,  the  gleam- 
ing of  the  lights  in  the  little  homes  put  a  finishing 
touch  to  the  picture.  Once  on  the  broad  river, 
the  shore  effect  was  more  wonderful  than  by 
day,  and  we  lost  all  note  of  time  until  we  were 
told  at  the  hotel  landing  that  it  was  half-past 
seven  o'clock. 

The  following  morning  we  left,  at  half-past 
six,  for  an  excursion  l)y  i-ail  and  river  to  the  old 
capital,  Ayuthia.  The  ride  of  three  hours  in  a 
car  presented  no  special  features.  But  we  then 
took  a  steam  launch  and  proceeded  some  miles 


SIAMESE    CUSTOMS  187 

farther  in  order  to  visit  the  ruins  of  the  old 
palace  and  the  elephants'  kraal.  Skirting  in  and 
out,  we  saw  about  three  miles  of  houseboats  on 
sampans.  This  was  a  most  interesting  spectacle, 
all  kinds  of  traffic  being  carried  on,  some  space 
aboard  being  reserved  for  the  family.  There 
were  boats  for  the  sale  of  flowers  and  vegetables, 
others  for  household  commodities,  and  some 
had  crockery  and  glass  and  baskets.  We  then 
visited  two  temples.  The  ruins  cover  an  immense 
space  of  ground  and  are  a  fine  field  for  archaeolo- 
gists, but  we  had  no  means  of  classifying  them 
and  our  guide  was  not  scientific.  Many  of  the 
most  interesting  relics  are  surrounded  by  a  dense 
jungle  which  makes  them  difficult  of  access,  but 
one  receives  a  certain  impression  of  the  ancient 
grandeur  of  the  place. 

Tradition  states  that  the  custom  of  wearing 
the  hair  short  by  Siamese  women  dates  from 
the  days  when  Ayuthia  was  a  capital.  It  is  said 
that  during  one  of  the  political  invasions  by  the 
Burmans  most  of  the  men  were  absent  in  the 
harvest  fields.  The  women  accordingly  cut  their 
hair,  took  bows  and  arrows  and  spears,  and 
manned  the  city  walls.  The  Burmans,  thinking 
they  were  men,  \Vere  astonished  at  finding  such 
a  strong  garrison  and  retired,  much  discomfited. 
It  is  also  said  that  the  women  then  adopted  the 
same  dress  as  the  men,  the  panung,  a  garment 
something  like  the  sarong  but  drawn  up  in  the 


188    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR   EAST 

middle,  front  and  back.  The  cutting  of  the  hair 
and  the  peculiar  garb  make  it  difficult  to  tell  the 
Siamese  women  from  the  men.  The  style  is 
distinctive  with  the  women,  as  all  of  the  surround- 
ing people  —  the  Burmans,  Laos,  and  Malays 
—  wear    the    sarong. 

A  walk  of-  ten  minutes  from  Wang  Chang 
brought  us  to  the  famous  elephants'  kraal,  or 
enclosure,  into  which  the  elephants  are  driven 
to  be  captured  and  tamed.  This  is  a  massive 
structure  of  teak  logs,  with  a  kind  of  V-shaped 
passage  leading  to  it.  When  a  hunt  is  to  occur, 
the  places  frequented  by  the  elephants  are  noted 
weeks  beforehand,  and  they  are  gradually  sur- 
rounded by  some  hundreds  of  men  mounted 
upon  trained  elephants  and  also  afoot,  the  ele- 
phants being  gradually  driven  towards  the  en- 
trance of  the  kraal.  Within,  there  is  an  exciting 
scene,  as  the  ponderous,  awkward  animals  find 
themselves  pressed  onwards  en  masse  through 
the  massive  gate  into  the  enclosure.  Once  in- 
side, they  are  dexterously  captured  by  long  leg 
ropes,  whilst  their  struggles  are  kept  from  as- 
suming dangerous  proportions  by  trained  ele- 
phants which  range  up  alongside  of  them  and 
aid  their  masters  in  every  possible  way,  ap- 
parently taking  quite  a  delight  in  the  task. 
These  hunts  occur  at  regular  intervals,  and  are 
generally  attended  by  a  large  number  of  foreign 
visitors.    Accidents,  even  deaths,  sometimes  hap- 


'a 


•2. 


BAN   PA   IN  189 

pen,  but  these  are  not  frequent.  We  regretted 
we  were  not  in  Siam  at  the  proper  season  to 
witness  such  a  scene. 

After  a  picnic  luncheon,  we  proceeded  down 
the  river,  stopping  at  different  points  to  visit 
temples  of  varying  interest;  one  was  particu- 
larly noteworthy,  as  it  contained  a  very  large 
Buddha  in  the  back  of  the  temple  and  a  row  of 
brass  Buddhas  around  three  of  its  sides,  some 
of  them  in  fine  repousse  work.  At  Ban  Pa  In 
we  left  the  launch  to  take  the  train.  Here  the 
King  has  two  palaces. 

Ban  Pa  In  is  on  an  island  in  the  Menam 
River.  One  handsome  palace  is  in  the  Euro- 
pean style,  and  another  is  of  a  pure  Chinese 
pattern.  There  is  a  modern  temple  of  Gothic 
style,  built  fifteen  years  ago.  Near  the  palace 
a  tower  affords  a  fine  view. 

We  arrived  at  Bangkok  late  in  the  afternoon, 
feeling  well  pleased  with  our  day's  excursion. 

Fifty  years  ago  Bangkok  had  none  of  the  pub- 
lic buildings  to  be  seen  to-day,  —  perhaps  a  mile 
of  good  road  and  streets  in  only  fair  condition ; 
now  there  are  numerous  drives  and  perfect  com- 
munication to  every  point  of  the  city.  There  are 
twelve  miles  of  electric  railway  line,  soon  to  be 
extended,  while  leading  out  from  Bangkok  are 
hundreds  of  miles  of  well-equipped  railways. 
Jinrikishas  are  used  in  Bangkok,  but  with  for- 
eigners   carriages    are    preferred.      The    native 


190    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

street,  called  Sampeng,  is  really  a  Chinese- 
Siamese  combination,  and  might  be  termed  a 
bazar  on  the  order  of  those  visited  in  previous 
cities.  The  streets,  filled  with  strong  odors,  are 
small  lanes  running  parallel  with  the  river,  and 
to  me  were  less  interesting  than  previous  bazars, 
the  venders  seeming  to  be  apathetic  and  having 
less  variety  of  goods.  This  impression  may, 
however,  have  been  due  to  the  midday  hour,  for 
the  natives,  understanding  the  climate,  are  only 
alert  during  the  mornings  and  evenings.  The 
season  may  also  have  lessened  the  dash  and  ex- 
citement of  the  street.  We  were  told  there  were 
quite  as  many  tribes  and  nationalities  represented 
in  Bangkok  as  in  Singapore,  and  such  a  mixture 
usually  means  novelty.  The  dress  and  undress 
in  Siam  afforded  variety,  the  men  and  women 
nearly  alike,  for,  as  stated  in  the  description  in 
connection  with  Ayuthia,  the  women  have  short 
hair  and  wear  the  panung  precisely  like  the 
men. 

The  guides  in  Siam  are  not  very  competent, 
and  could  give  us  only  ordinary  information,  so 
there  was  little  for  us  to  do  but  to  speculate  on 
cerain  points. 

There  are  several  interesting  towns  which  are 
within  a  few  hours'  railway  communication  with 
Bangkok,  but  we  could  only  read  of  them,  as 
none  of  them  had  hotels  or  even  rest  houses 
for  the  convenience  of  tourists.     This  state  of 


Tower  of  Royal  Palace  at  Ban-Pa-In 


PETCHABURI  191 

things  will  be  remedied  as  soon  as  it  is  realized 
that  the  outside  world  is  interested  in  this  far- 
away kingdom,  the  first  tourist  party  having 
visited  Siam  only  two  years  ago.  We  were 
hampered  before  reaching  this  country  by  the 
lack  of  a  guide-book  (as  we  had  been  in  Java), 
Murray's  enlightening  knowledge  having  ex- 
tended only  through  India,  Burma,  and  Ceylon ; 
but  after  our  arrival  in  Bangkok  we  found  some 
local  guide-books,  from  which  we  learned  of  the 
towns  alluded  to. 

Petchaburi  seemed  one  of  the  most  interesting 
on  account  of  the  wonderful  caves  and  temples, 
a  description  of  which  I  will  give  in  brief,  in 
order  to  prove  that  Siam,  like  the  other  countries 
previously  visited,  has  unusual  attractions  along 
these  lines.  The  railway  to  Petchaburi  was 
opened  in  1902,  and  the  journey  takes  five  and 
a  half  hours  from  Bangkok.  It  is  an  old  historic 
town  of  much  importance  and  the  centre  of  a 
very  populous  district.  It  is  picturesquely  sit- 
uated on  both  banks  of  the  stream,  curving  sea- 
ward at  the  foot  of  some  wooded  hills.  One  of 
the  hills  is  crowned  with  the  royal  palace  and 
another  with  a  handsome  temple.  The  palace  is 
a  magnificent  edifice  and  commands  wide  views 
on  all  sides,  the  sea  being  clearly  seen  from  the 
observatory.  The  hill  on  which  is  situated  the 
temple,  and  its  companion,  are  known  as  Kow 
Wang. 


192    TRAVELS  IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

Descending  a  well-constructed,  if  somewhat 
precipitous,  staircase  for  what  must  be  fully  a 
hundred  feet,  we  find  ourselves  in  a  cave  from 
which  a  very  spacious  archway  leads  into  a  huge 
vaulted  chamber.  The  first  impression  is  one 
of  acute  astonishment,  by  no  means  lessened, 
even  after  one  becomes  accustomed  to  the  dim 
light  inside.  By  rough  calculation  the  cave  is 
about  two  hundred  yards  long  by  one  hundred 
wide.  The  floor  is  paved  throughout  with  tiles, 
and  at  every  turn  there  is  an  image  of  Buddha. 
At  one  end  there  is  a  statue  fully  fifteen  feet 
high  in  a  niche  fronting  the  entrance,  and  near 
by  is  one  twelve  feet  high.  In  a  wide  passage, 
leading  to  another  extensive  cave,  is  a  statue  of 
the  sleeping  Buddha,  apparently  about  fifteen 
feet  long,  and  in  the  semi-gloom  which  surrounds 
him,  suggestive  of  eternal  calm  and  peace.  In 
this  cave  are  more  Buddhas,  sitting,  standing, 
and  reclining. 

Thence,  on  through  a  somewhat  low  and  dark 
tunnel,  we  go  to  yet  another  cave,  from  which  a 
short  passage  leads  upward  to  what  was  the 
original  dark  entrance.  This  is  now  impassable, 
as  the  stairs  have  collapsed.  Many  curious 
stalactites  are  in  clusters,  some  like  inverted 
lilies  and  others  like  canopies  or  umbrellas; 
they  are  of  all  sizes,  ranging  from  a  few  inches 
to  several  feet  in  diameter  and  some  are  tinted 
in  various  shades.     The  caves  are  well  worth 


A  Siamese  girl 


27 


SIAMESE   FEASTS   AND   FESTIVALS  193 

visiting,  and  a  view  of  them  will  adequately  re- 
pay the  time  and  expense  of  the  journey  from 
Bangkok.  In  the  centre  of  the  town  and  near  a 
quaint  wooden  bridge  stands  Wat  Mahathal, 
conspicuous  by  reason  of  its  unfinished  brick 
tower,  on  the  summit  of  which  a  couple  of  trees 
are  growing;  a  quadrangle  surrounding  this 
contains  one  hundred  and  ninety-five  images  of 
Buddha,  which  are  of  interest  if  only  because  of 
the  different  expressions  of  their  countenances. 

The  American  Presbyterian  Mission  has  a 
commodious  hospital,  pleasantly  situated  on 
the  river  bank,  which  enjoys  a  high  reputation 
among  the  natives.  There  are  two  distinct 
tribes  of  Laos  inhabiting  this  district.  The 
women,  on  account  of  their  peculiar  headgear 
and  jackets  of  dark  cloth  and  short  sarong,  are 
interesting.  The  cultivation  of  rice  is  the  pre- 
vailing industry  in  this  district. 

Judging  by  the  number  of  Siamese  feasts 
and  festivals  there  are  in  the  calendar,  a  holiday 
must  always  be  in  order.  The  Siamese  official 
year  opens  April  1st,  and  about  that  time,  a 
date  regulated  by  the  moon,  the  New  Year  holi- 
day occurs.  This  is  not  celebrated  quite  as 
vigorously  as  it  'formerly  was,  but  the  country 
people  make  it  the  occasion  for  performing  some 
great  deed  of  merit,  and  this  proves  a  time  of 
harvest  for  the  priests.  Every  one  wears  his 
best  clothes,  a  special  kind  of  cake  is  served. 


194    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

and  the  temples  are  thronged.  GambHng  laws 
are  set  aside,  and  in  every  house  may  be  seen 
some  game  of  chance.  On  the  evening  of  the 
second  day,  for  the  festival  continues  through  a 
period  of  three,  all  the  guns  along  the  palace 
walls  are  fired  thirty-six  times. 

The  Astronomical  New  Year  soon  follows, 
when  the  images  of  Buddha  are  sprinkled  with 
water,  while  the  priests  hold  a  festival  at  the 
royal  palace.  Priests  and  aged  people  are  pre- 
sented with  gifts. 

When  the  sixth  Siamese  moon  is  at  its  full, 
the  birth,  inspiration,  and  death  of  the  Lord 
Buddha  are  observed  with  great  veneration; 
good  deeds  prompt  every  one,  alms  are  given  to 
the  poor,  and  fine  robes  sent  to  the  priests. 

Twice  a  year  the  ceremonial  drinking  of  the 
water  of  allegiance  takes  place  at  the  royal 
palace.  The  princes,  nobles,  and  principal 
Government  officials  assemble,  drink,  and 
sprinkle  their  foreheads  with  water  in  which 
various  weapons  have  been  dipped.  Appro- 
priate religious  services  are  also  held.  The 
principal  European  officials  also  conform  to 
this  custom,  which  usually  occurs  in  the  months 
of  March,  April,  and  September. 

The  ploughing  ceremony  takes  place  in  May 
and  marks  the  beginning  of  the  planting  season. 
The  King  is  represented  by  the  Minister  of  Agri- 
culture, who  goes  with  a  procession  to  the  selected 


THE   KING'S   BIRTHDAY  195 

spot,  and,  after  some  religious  service,  takes  hold 
of  a  plough  which  is  drawn  by  two  gayly  be- 
decked oxen.  After  scratching  the  ground  for 
about  an  hour,  four  ladies  of  the  royal  house- 
hold, attired  in  ancient  costumes,  sow  various 
kinds  of  seed  carried  in  gilded  baskets.  The 
grain  thus  scattered  is  considered  sacred,  and 
there  is  a  wild  scramble  for  it  at  the  close. 
Many  signs  and  symbols  are  attached  to  various 
parts  of  the  ceremony,  which  usually  takes 
place  at  Dusit  Park. 

A  swinging  festival  is  very  unique  and  inter- 
esting, but  is  quite  complicated  and  has  to  be 
seen  to  be  understood.  The  swing  is  very  high 
and  I  think  is  stationary. 

Another  ceremony  is  the  giving  of  priests' 
robes.  This  lasts  a  month,  and  the  King  or  his 
deputies  visit  every  Wat  in  the  kingdom.  At 
this  time  the  boat  racing  at  the  Pakman  Wat 
occurs,  and  the  royal  barge  and  State  boats  are 
all  brought  out  for  the  occasion.  At  another 
festival,  the  Loy  Krathong  (all  these  celebra- 
tions have  their  Siamese  names) ,  the  river  Menam 
and  the  canals  present  a  gala  appearance,  being 
dotted  at  night  with  thousands  of  miniature 
ships,  rafts,  and-  boats,  each  brilliantly  lighted 
and  bearing  offerings  to  the  goddess  of  water. 
This  festival  occurs  in  October  and  November. 

But  the  greatest  occasion  of  the  year  is  the 
King's  birthday,  September  20th,  the  three  fol- 


196    TRAVELS  IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

lowing  days  being  included  in  the  festival. 
Everywhere  the  city  is  a  blaze  of  red  and  white 
bunting,  and  at  night  it  is  brilliant  with  myriad 
lights,  presenting  a  fairy  like  scene.  About  this 
time  the  Foreign  Office  gives  its  annual  ball,  a 
brilliant  occasion  for  which  invitations  are  in 
great  demand. 

Siamese  ceremonies  are  quite  as  peculiar  as 
their  feasts.  The  habit  of  cutting  the  long  tuft 
of  hair,  which  is  left  on  children's  heads  until 
they  have  attained  their  growth,  is  very  striking, 
and  at  the  royal  palace  very  elaborate  prep- 
arations are  made,  which  include  religious 
ceremonies  and  the  use  of  a  golden  jewelled 
instrument  resembling  shears. 

In  Siam  cremation  is  the  general  way  of  dis- 
posing of  the  dead.  Among  the  wealthy  classes 
the  body  is  embalmed  and  kept  sometimes  three 
years  before  the  ceremony,  which  is  conducted 
with  great  pomp  and  on  a  very  expensive  plan, 
gifts  being  distributed  among  all  the  attendant 
friends  and  sums  of  money  given  to  the  priests 
and  to  the  poor.  The  Chinese,  of  which  there 
are  large  numbers,  are  usually  buried,  but  in 
case  of  a  mixed  marriage  the  children  are 
cremated. 

There  are  many  superstitions.  A  peculiar  one 
in  court  circles  is  the  wearing  of  a  different- 
colored  panung  each  day  of  the  week,  —  on 
Sunday,  red ;  Monday,  cream ;  Tuesday,  purple ; 


AMUSEMENTS   IN   BANGKOK     197 

and  so  on,  —  for  good  luck.  Another  is  the  use 
of  buttons  adorned  with  representations  of  ani- 
mals, symbolical  of  the  year  in  which  certain 
persons  are  born,  —  this  also  for  good  luck. 
The  tendency  naturally  leads  to  great  respect 
being  shown  to  fortune-tellers.  The  youth  of 
Siam  are,  however,  it  is  said,  outgrowing  this 
superstitious  condition. 

One  time-honored  custom  is,  however,  in 
greater  vogue  than  ever,  and  that  is  massage, 
which  is  employed  by  all  classes. 

While  the  foreign  residents  of  Bangkok  are 
not  large  in  number,  they  have  made  their  im- 
press felt,  and  in  no  way  more  markedly  than 
in  the  amusements  which  they  have  inaugurated. 
There  are  sixteen  organizations,  many  of  them 
recreation  clubs  for  golf,  tennis,  and  cricket, 
but  there  are  also  a  literary  club,  a  dramatic 
club,  a  Philharmonic  Society,  and  a  gymnasium. 
Bangkok  has  a  good  library,  containing  books 
of  travel,  reference,  and  fiction. 

Racing  is  popular  and  is  generally  attended 
by  the  King,  who  gives  gold  cups  for  prizes. 
Hunting  is  in  great  favor,  for  game  can  be  found 
near  Bangkok,  and  at  not  a  remote  distance 
lurk  the  rhinoceros,  buffalo,  tiger,  leopard, 
deer,  antelope,  hare,  and  crocodile.  Elephants 
abound,  but  may  not  be  shot. 

Bangkok,  as  a  city,  becomes  distinctively  in- 
dividual as  one  learns  more  of  it;    for  instance, 


198    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

the  telegraph  and  the  telephone  lines  are  con- 
trolled by  the  postal  department  and  are  work- 
ing satisfactorily  under  this  regime.  As  early 
as  1902,  important  fiscal  changes  were  intro- 
duced :  one  was  the  closing  of  the  mints  to  free 
silver,  and  the  other  an  issuance  of  paper  cur- 
rency notes.  The  first  meant  the  practical 
adoption  of  a  gold  standard.  I  cite  these  ex- 
amples as  showing  still  further  progressive 
methods. 

There  are  holiday  resorts  on  the  east  coast  of 
the  gulf,  where  Bangkok  residents  can  retire  for 
a  change  of  air.  These  have  been  mentioned. 
There  are  also  remoter  places  of  great  interest 
farther  in  the  interior  and  in  the  mountains, 
which  will  soon  be  available  for  travellers. 

Rathburi  is  an  old  walled  town  of  impor- 
tance. Near  here,  the  French  Catholic  priests 
have  a  mission  house  and  seminary.  The  Ameri- 
can Presbyterian  Mission  owns  a  fine  hospital, 
and  two  missionary  families  are  stationed  here. 

Phrapatoon  is  the  seat  of  a  large  pagoda 
which  is  visible  for  many  miles  around.  It  was 
formerly  gilded  and  was  built  in  style  similar 
to  the  pagodas  seen  in  Burma. 

With  all  the  available  information  about  the 
kingdom  of  Siam,  one  cannot  but  feel  that  it  has 
a  future  full  of  possibilities;  certain  it  is  that 
the  measures  already  inaugurated  by  the  King 
are  made  for  the  welfare  of  his  people. 


SIXTY-SEVEN   SONS  199 

The  tropical  growth  of  Siam  impressed  us 
only  sUghtly,  as  we  had  just  come  from  Java, 
**the  garden  of  the  earth."  Otherwise  we  should 
have  been  enthusiastic  over  the  beauty  of  the 
landscape  and  the  luxurious  growth  of  trees  and 
plants. 

There  was  no  special  programme  on  our  last 
morning  in  Bangkok,  and  so  I  wandered  around 
for  final  impressions  and  for  photographs.  I  had 
an  amusing  little  talk  with  what  proved  to  be 
the  court  photographer.  Among  other  notables 
of  the  realm,  he  showed  me  a  picture  of  the 
Crown  Prince,  whereupon  I  innocently  asked 
him  how  many  sons  there  were.  He  replied, 
** Sixty-seven,"  and  that  he  had  taken  all  their 
photographs.  The  reply  was  rather  startling, 
and  I  impulsively  asked,  "And  how  many 
daughters.^"  He  looked  blank  and  admitted 
that  he  did  not  know.  Of  course  I  understood 
that  the  family  relations  of  the  King  were 
modelled  on  strictly  Oriental  lines,  and  that  he 
had  three  legal  wives,  the  number  prescribed 
by  law;  but  I  was  unprepared  for  a  statement 
that  showed  a  daughter  in  a  royal  household  to 
be  such  a  nonentity  as  the  above  implied. 

When  I  visited  the  market,  I  saw  an  un- 
limited number  of  fruits  as  well  as  vegetables; 
cocoanuts,  plantains,  bananas,  durians,  pine- 
apples, breadfruit,  jackfruit,  dates,  almonds, 
pomaloes,    mangoes     (fifty    varieties),    mango- 


200    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

steens,  custard  apples,  limes,  oranges,  tamarinds, 
figs,  and  papayas,  all  are  to  be  found  here  in 
their  proper  season.  I  did  not  even  know  the 
names  of  some,  but  never  again  do  I  hope  to  see 
such  a  display. 

There  were  fewer  flowers  than  I  had  been  led 
to  expect,  but  the  flora  of  Siam  is  said  to  be  par- 
ticularly rich  in  unusual  varieties  of  orchids, 
which  are  found  flourishing  abundantly  even  in 
the  jungles,  and  a  visit  would  well  repay  a  col- 
lector. A  person  can  find  a  rich  field  in  Siam 
along  many  lines  of  investigation. 

We  left  Bangkok  in  the  afternoon  on  the 
steamer  Nuen  Tang  for  a  five  days'  return  trip 
to  Singapore.  I  have  already  alluded  to  the 
**sand  bar  "  which  is  an  obstacle  to  navigation; 
hence  it  is  that  the  heavy  freight  vessels  anchor 
fifty  miles  distant  at  Koh-si-Chang,  but  I  learned 
later  that  this  obstacle  could  have  been  removed 
by  dredging,  had  not  the  authorities  declined  to 
take  any  action,  as  the  "bar  "  furnished  a  safe 
means  of  defence  should  war  ever  occur. 

We  saw  various  pagodas  as  we  advanced ;  the 
most  noted  example  was  in  the  village  of  Pak- 
man.  As  viewed  through  masses  of  foliage,  it 
reminded  us  of  the  trip  on  the  Irrawaddy  River 
in  Burma.  A  cargo  of  rice  was  taken  on  at 
Koh-si-Chang,  and  we  did  not  leave  there  until 
eleven,  the  day  following.  A  group  of  islands 
similarly  called  was  a  feature  of  the  trip.    It  was 


t 


JOHORE  201 

cooler  when  we  entered  the  Gulf  of  Siam,  and 
the  China  Sea  was  favorably  smooth.  The 
conditions  of  the  steamer  w^ere  unchanged,  but 
they  had  grown  familiar  to  us,  and  even  the  cock- 
roaches no  longer  intimidated  me. 

Singapore  :  We  arrived  at  Singapore  early  in 
the  morning,  and  for  a  third  time  viewed  the 
shores ;  on  this  trip  we  went  to  the  Raffles  Hotel 
for  a  brief  sojourn.  The  place  is  airy,  capacious, 
and  semi-Oriental,  and  reminded  us  of  Colombo, 
as  did  the  temperature,  for  although  but  two 
degrees  from  the  equator,  the  air  was  like  June 
at  home,  and  without  any  of  the  chill  in  the 
evening  that  we  sometimes  experience;  so  it  was 
a  great  pleasure  to  sit  out  in  the  corridor-like 
veranda  and  listen  to  the  music.  It  was  all  so 
contrary  to  our  expectations,  for  we  had  been 
told  fearful  tales  about  heat,  insects,  and  gen- 
eral discomfort  on  the  Malay  Peninsula,  or  on 
what  they  term  the  *' Straits  Settlements." 

Johore:  To  commence  with,  we  devoted  the 
first  afternoon  to  an  excursion  to  Johore,  the 
capital  of  an  independent  Malay  province, 
whose  Sultan  reigns  with  pomp  and  ceremony. 
After  a  railway  ride,  we  took  the  ferry  across 
the  river,  where  a  scene  of  loveliness  awaited  us. 
The  city  is  unpretentious  in  appearance,  but 
our  afternoon  excursion  revealed  to  us  a  varied 


202    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

landscape  with  a  tropical  growth.  We  visited 
a  plantation  where  india  rubber,  one  of  the  chief 
articles  of  export,  is  cultivated;  then  a  large 
Mohammedan  mosque,  finely  located  on  an 
eminence.  The  tiger  house  on  this  particular 
day  held  but  one  inmate,  who  showed  no  desire 
to  devour  us. 

The  grounds  surrounding  the  palace  are  as 
spacious  and  as  well  cared  for  as  a  botanical 
garden,  with  the  brilliant  flowers,  blossoming 
trees,  and  a  great  number  of  red  sealing-wax 
palms.  The  palace  is  luxuriantly  embowered 
in  vines  and  trees.  Johore  is  a  famous  gambling- 
place,  but  the  ''parlors"  were  deserted  on  this 
afternoon,  and  we  could  see  only  the  fine  fur- 
nishings in  carved  teak  wood. 

The  stay  in  Johore  ended  with  tea  at  a  hotel. 
Here  we  saw  the  real  Sultan  entertaining  a 
party  of  Europeans.  He  looked  young  and  was 
dressed  in  an  immaculate  English  style,  quite 
unlike  the  striped  calico  suits  displayed  by 
royalty  at  Jeypore,  India.  He  came  in  a 
French  automobile,  and  is  said  to  pass  half  his 
time  in  Singapore,  being  fond  of  society.  We 
arrived  in  Singapore  for  dinner,  and  during  the 
evening  a  delightful  surprise  awaited  me  in  the 
appearance  of  two  Milwaukee  friends. 

The  following  day  much  ground  was  covered, 
for,  by  invitation  of  Cincinnati  friends,  I  took  a 
motor   ride    of    about   forty    miles    amidst    un- 


28 


THE    COOLIE  203 

dreamed-of  beauty,  both  near  the  city  and  in  the 
surrounding  country.  There  were  streets  lined 
with  villas  whose  gardens  were  full  of  a  luxuri- 
ant growth  of  shrubs  and  flowers ;  some  of  them 
had  the  quaintest  high-arched  gateways,  with 
coats  of  arms  and  animals  carved  in  stone  on 
each  side  of  the  entrance.  The  Botanical  Gar- 
dens were  very  interesting,  as  was  also  the  park, 
miles  from  the  city,  and  laid  out  around  the 
reservoir,  which  furnishes  all  the  water  supply. 
We  went  on  and  on  until  we  reached  the  **Gap," 
where  a  mountain  view  awaited  us.  We  visited 
the  shops  and  bazars  before  luncheon,  and  in 
the  afternoon  all  of  us  explored  the  native 
Malay  quarter.  The  dress  of  the  women  was 
unlike  any  other  seen  in  the  Orient.  The 
Chinese  seemed  to  be  the  real  residents,  for 
everywhere  they  prevailed  in  large  numbers. 

In  whatever  direction  we  went,  new  features 
revealed  themselves,  and  we  commended  the 
wisdom  of  Sir  Stamford  Rafiles  in  founding 
this  island  city  with  its  wonderful  harbor,  where 
shipping  from  almost  all  parts  of  the  world  con- 
gregates, making  the  active  sights  at  the  quay 
at  once  novel  and  business-like.  Indians,  Sikhs, 
Malays,  and  other  nationalities  are  represented, 
but  the  Chinese  perform  all  the  menial  labor 
required. 

The  coolie  is  a  character,  —  patient,  hard- 
working,  uncomplaining,   supplying   a    demand 


204    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

throughout  the  Orient,  made  necessary,  as  we 
have  seen,  by  the  indolence  of  the  Burmese  and 
of  the  Malays,  to  mention  only  two  examples. 

Singapore  is  very  gay  in  the  season,  and  a 
centre  for  the  wealth  of  the  Far  East ;  indeed, 
sultans  and  nabobs  consider  it  a  veritable  Paris. 

The  last  morning  of  our  stay,  I  went  around 
in  a  jinrikisha,  and  my  man  was  as  fleet  as  a 
horse.  I  had  an  experience  trying  to  find  so 
simple  an  article  as  a  paper  of  pins,  visiting 
shop  after  shop.  Evidently  they  have  not 
learned  the  ways  of  the  American  department 
store  ! 

Hong-Kong  :  We  sailed  in  the  late  afternoon 
on  the  steamer  Moltke  for  a  five  days'  voyage 
to  Hong-Kong,  with  a  feeling  that  we  had  ex- 
perienced no  discomfort  but  much  pleasure  in 
the  seemingly  maligned  city  of  Singapore. 

We  passed  the  Strait  of  Malacca  without 
any  untoward  excitement,  and  we  steamed 
along  pleasantly  with  a  group  of  passengers  who 
looked  well-bred  and  agreeable;  as  time  went 
on,  our  first  impression  of  them  was  corroborated. 
A  delightful  feature  aboard  was  music  every 
evening  in  the  salon,  mostly  singing.  There 
was  a  service  on  Sunday,  both  for  the  first-class 
and  second-class  passengers.  We  soon  entered  the 
China  Sea,  which  was  to  be  our  sole  waterway 
to  Hong-Kong,  fifteen  hundred  miles  distant,  or 


^ 


.«5 


51 
§0 


HONG-KONG  205 

rather  to  the  Straits  of  Formosa,  which  guard 
the  China  Sea  on  the  north,  as  the  Strait  of 
Malacca  does  on  the  south.  We  reached  port 
on  the  morning  of  March  20th,  and  the  ap- 
proach —  past  many  islands,  along  the  fine 
harbor,  with  its  high  rocky  shores,  towering 
mountains  in  the  background,  and  a  terraced 
city  in  the  foreground  —  gave  us  a  new  sensation. 
We  landed  at  Kowloon  and  were  taken  across 
to  Hong-Kong  (which,  properly  and  legally 
speaking,  is  Victoria). 

Fronting  the  landing  is  a  long  street  of  fine 
stone  business  houses,  which  extend  tier  after 
tier  from  the  shore  and  in  a  way  represent  the 
city's  commercial  importance. 

The  Hong-Kong  Hotel  is  situated  in  the  busi- 
ness centre;  although  under  English  manage- 
ment, the  service  was  entirely  Chinese,  and  at 
luncheon  we  were  confronted  by  an  array  of 
waiters  with  braids  around  their  heads  and 
wearing  long  blue  garments  made  like  aprons; 
the  ensemble  was  indeed  most  depressing.  The 
menu  presented  a  curious  feature,  the  courses 
being  numbered,  and  you  were  expected  to  point 
to  the  number,  but  woe  to  any  one  who  wished 
an  egg  boiled  four  minutes  or  a  piece  of  rare 
roast ! 

Hong-Kong  is  on  the  north  shore  of  the  island, 
and  dampness  prevails  even  when  it  does  not 
rain  (there  is  an  unusual  amount  of  rain) ;    in 


206    TRAVELS   IN   THE  FAR  EAST 

consequence,  great  care  has  to  be  observed  by 
the  residents,  both  of  their  homes  and  clothing. 
Yet,  notwithstanding  this  and  other  disabiUties, 
the  EngHsh  have  made  the  island  *' blossom 
like  a  rose."  Engineering  enterprise  has  con- 
verted the  mountain-side  into  an  attractive 
residence  centre.  A  railway  leading  to  the  Peak 
(the  highest  point  in  the  landscape)  is  not  only 
a  convenience,  but  a  pleasure  on  account  of  the 
magnificent  view  afforded  along  the  ascent. 
A  little  lower  is  an  attractive  Peak  Hotel,  which 
is  popular  with  residents.  At  every  point  on 
the  heights  there  are  features  to  impress  one,  as 
we  found  the  afternoon  of  our  arrival,  when  we 
took  jinrikishas  to  visit  Happy  Valley,  where 
are  located  the  public  garden  and  the  Protestant 
cemetery,  which  is  also  laid  out  like  a  park. 
The  Catholic  cemetery  is  near  by  and  has  the 
same  general  features.  Happy  Valley  is  also  the 
scene  for  various  sports,  such  as  golf,  tennis, 
croquet,  and  racing,  in  which  Hong-Kong 
abounds. 

The  afternoon  of  our  visit,  we  walked  about 
to  various  points,  enjoying  the  views,  and  com- 
mending the  perfection  which  had  been  wrought 
since  1842,  when  China  ceded  the  island  to 
Great  Britain.  Realizing  that  Hong-Kong  was 
destined  to  be  a  world  port,  England  some  years 
since  leased  a  portion  of  the  mainland  from 
China  for  further  harbor  facilities.     This  strip 


^ 


^ 
^ 


CHURCH-GOING  IN  HONG-KONG    207 

extends  back  thirty  miles  and  is  held  for  a  term 
of  ninety-nine  years.  The  city  retains  its  former 
name,  Kowloon,  but  its  business  facilities  are 
all  under  English  management.  The  miles  of 
docks,  warehouses,  shipyards,  and  machine 
shops  are  another  proof  of  the  wisdom  and  fore- 
thought with  which  Great  Britain  carries  out 
her  plans  for  colonizing  alien  places. 

Hong-Kong  was  destined  to  be  our  head- 
quarters for  nearly  two  weeks;  it  is  a  conven- 
ient point  from  which  to  make  excursions. 
On  the  first  Sunday  morning  I  attended  service 
at  the  English  Cathedral ;  the  building  is  on  the 
heights,  surrounded  by  a  well-kept  close  and 
overlooking  a  fine  residence  portion  of  the  city. 
I  was  conveyed  to  church  in  a  sedan  chair  on 
account  of  the  steep  ascent.  During  our  ex- 
cursion to  the  Peak,  we  first  took  a  railway 
chair,  then  a  sedan  chair;  leaving  that,  we  had 
a  long  climb  before  we  reached  the  summit, 
where  there  is  a  flagstaff.  What  a  view  was 
before  us  —  mountains  in  the  distance,  the 
harbor  and  the  islands,  shipping  of  all  kinds, 
and  roofs  of  every  description !  Descending, 
we  had  tea  at  the  Peak  Hotel.  Another  after- 
noon we  went  in  a  launch  to  Kowloon.  We 
took  a  jinrikisha  for  a  general  exploration  of  the 
old  Chinese  city,  and  aside  from  what  has  been 
indicated,  we  went  through  the  native  quarter, 
saw  several   temples,  visited    a  Chinese    schooL 


208    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

and  ascended  the  high  wall  for  a  view.  Much 
of  the  wall  is  unimpaired.  A  drive  in  the 
country  followed,  and  we  saw  many  tiny  Chinese 
gardens  and  a  number  of  cemeteries. 

The  jinrikisha  ride  to  Aberdeen,  a  fishing 
village  some  miles  distant,  proved  delightful. 
The  roadway  was  sometimes  close  to  the  water's 
edge;  then  we  ascended  and  looked  down  over 
low  cliffs,  with  coves  ever  and  anon  dotting  the 
shore.  It  reminded  me  continually  of  the  ride 
from  Sorrento  to  Amalfi,  and  again  of  the  Upper 
Corniche  drive  from  Mentone  to  Nice. 

Early  on  Wednesday,  March  25th,  we  left 
on  the  steamer  Keung  Shang  for  a  visit  to  Can- 
ton, ninety  miles  distant.  Leaving  the  com- 
mercial city  and  a  fleet  of  shipping  vessels  be- 
hind us,  we  had  some  miles  of  lake  scenery; 
then  we  had  islands  and  the  coast  line  beyond. 
Soon  we  were  in  Pearl  River,  and  the  surround- 
ings grew  more  picturesque,  —  now  a  little 
village  near  the  water's  edge  with  a  mountain 
behind,  and  then  more  islands  and  more  moun- 
tain ranges.  We  had  a  glimpse  of  Castle  Peak, 
two  thousand  feet  high.  We  then  passed  an 
immense  prominence,  called  the  Half- Way  Rock. 
At  a  place  known  as  Tiger's  Mouth,  fortifica- 
tions were  seen.  The  country  soon  becomes 
flat,  with  rice  fields  and  fruit  farms;  we  saw 
the  Whampoa  Pagoda  and  some  miles  farther 
on    the    Honam    Pagoda.      Near    Canton,    we 


CANTON   IMPRESSIONS  209 

passed  another  pagoda,  and  then  the  white  spire 
of  the  French  cathedral  gleamed  out,  and  our 
goal  was  reached.  It  is  a  most  interesting  river 
trip,  and  is  unfortunately  more  often  taken  at 
night,  in  order  to  economize  time. 

The  first  impression  of  Canton  is  one  of  noise, 
a  fearful  din  rising  and  falling  in  a  kind  of 
cadence,  and  seeming  to  proceed  largely  from 
an  immense  flotilla  of  boats  extending  a  long 
way,  tied,  in  a  majority  of  cases,  seven  and 
eight  rows  deep  —  craft  of  all  kinds,  sampans, 
junks,  rice  boats,  freight,  each  with  its  quota  of 
humanity,  for  this  is  a  veritable  floating  city, 
with  a  life  all  its  own,  and  almost  wholly  inde- 
pendent of  the  Canton  proper  which  we  were 
about  to  visit  and  which  numbered  a  hundred 
thousand  souls. 

We  had  not  anticipated  much  enjoyment  in 
Canton,  having  read  of  the  dirt  and  smells,  but 
we  had  not  expected  to  be  deafened  at  our  very 
entrance,  and  I  think  for  the  time  being  it  dulled 
the  consciousness  of  this  wonderful  spectacle 
of  a  floating  independent  city  just  at  the  door 
of  a  city  whose  name  is  famous  the  world  over. 

Canton,  March  25th:  We  were  soon  con- 
veyed up  a  back  canal  to  the  Shameen  (the  name 
of  the  city  of  foreign  concession),  where  our 
quarters,  the  Hotel  Victoria,  were  located.  My 
room    was    situated    on    the   ground    floor,    the 


210    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

gallery  opening  on  a  large  garden  or  court, 
abloom  with  trees  and  flowers.  There  was  no 
key  to  the  door,  and  strangers  were  all  about 
me,  but  the  complacent  manner  in  which  I  met 
this  fact  caused  me  to  realize  that  my  courage 
was  greater  than  when  at  Jeypore  in  far-aw^ay 
India. 

The  first  afternoon,  a  jinrikisha  ride  convinced 
us  that  we  were  in  the  most  congested  city  on 
the  face  of  the  globe ;  a  city  of  streets  so  narrow 
that  two  chairs  could  hardly  pass  each  other; 
a  city  of  strange  sights  and  more  violent  con- 
trasts than  any  we  had  yet  seen.  And  the 
smells  !  —  the  English  language  does  not  con- 
tain words  strong  enough  to  describe  them. 
In  the  bazar  portion  of  the  city  we  were  diverted 
by  the  boxlike  shops,  with  their  open  fronts,  and 
filled  with  curios,  works  in  jade,  wood,  and 
unique  articles  of  feather  jewelry. 

Then  the  wonderful  Chinese  signs  !  We  had 
noticed  and  admired  them  in  Hong-Kong,  but 
in  size  and  beauty  they  now  far  excelled  any- 
thing of  the  kind  we  had  seen  before.  They 
extended  from  an  upper  story,  for  these  bazars 
were  many  of  them  on  the  ground  floor  of  four- 
story  apartments,  each  story  having  its  front 
gallery  where  one  could  witness  diversified 
scenes  of  family  life.  The  signs  are  about  a 
half  a  yard  wide  and  are  decorated  from  top 
to   bottom   with   gold  and   brilliant  colors,   the 


< 

^ 


29 


THE   FIVE-STORY   PAGODA      211 

Chinese  letters  forming  a  large  feature  of  the 
display.  These  signs  (sometimes  five  grouped 
together)  are  wonderfully  effective,  as  they  sway 
back  and  forth  in  the  wind,  and  they  are  a  partial 
indication  of  the  Chinese  industry  which  prevails. 

There  were  larger  shops  in  better  locations 
in  the  city,  and  here  we  found  the  grass  linen 
embroidered  articles  and  the  crape  for  which 
Canton  is  famous. 

The  following  morning,  we  departed  on  a 
more  serious  sight-seeing  expedition,  to  include 
all  manner  of  typical  Cantonese  places,  but  be- 
fore I  had  been  out  an  hour  I  decided  that  the 
description  of  one  temple  only  would  not  ade- 
quately convey  a  true  impression,  for  everywhere 
we  went  things  seemed  unreal  and  grotesque, 
but  interesting.  First,  we  entered  what  our 
guide  termed  the  Medicine  Temple,  not  so  very 
large,  where  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  room 
huge  idols  were  placed  before  all  manner  of 
receptacles  for  holding  medicine;  next  a  Bud- 
dhist Temple,  very  inferior  to  any  we  had  seen ; 
then  a  Confucian  temple,  plain  like  the  majority 
of  them;  while  a  Shinto  temple  had  the  char- 
acteristic torii  before  it.  This  latter  I  will  de- 
scribe when  Japah,  the  land  of  the  torii,  is  the 
topic. 

The  Five-story  Pagoda  is  quite  imposing,  as  it 
is  placed  on  the  city  wall  and  commands  a  wide 
view.     It  is  the  custom  for  parties  to  go  there 


212    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

and  take  their  picnic  luncheon,  and  our  guide 
had  planned  for  us  to  do  this,  but  unfortunately 
the  pagoda  was  being  repaired  and  visitors  were 
not  permitted.  So  we  proceeded  to  a  large 
building  on  an  eminence,  which  was  furnished 
like  a  club  house  and  was  evidently  for  public 
use.  There  was  a  conventional  garden  in  front, 
affording  a  very  extended  view. 

A  visit  to  the  so-called  ''Home  of  the  Dead" 
followed ;  this  was  unlike  anything  ever  ex- 
perienced before.  We  entered  an  enclosure, 
laid  out  partly  as  a  garden ;  there  were  walks 
leading  around,  and  some  of  them  had  low  rooms 
at  the  sides,  with  open  fronts,  while  on  a  plinth 
rested  coffins  of  different  styles;  the  bodies 
within  were  awaiting  burial.  Flowers  were 
scattered  here  and  there,  and  I  believe  fruit, 
food,  and  offerings  of  various  kinds  also. 

We  next  visited  the  place  of  execution,  which 
was  ghastly  with  its  associations,  and  the  exe- 
cutioner swung  the  large  instrument  around,  as 
the  guide  explained  the  process  of  decapitating 
heads.  But  fortunately  for  our  nerves  the  place 
then  contained  only  long  rows  of  jars  from  a 
pottery  near  by. 

The  Nambo  Prison  proved  to  be  a  wooden 
affair,  gates  and  all,  but  the  poor  unkept,  un- 
washed victims  who  glared  at  us  through  the 
bars  looked  too  sickly  and  emaciated  to  offer 
any  resistance,  even  had  they  a  mind  to  escape. 


THE   FIVE   HUNDRED   GENII     213 

By  far  the  most  interesting  place  we  visited 
was  the  Temple  of  the  Five  Hundred  Genii, 
with  large  brass  gods  seated  on  opposite  sides  of  a 
long  hall,  —  the  Temple  of  the  Five  Genii,  and 
the  ancestral  temple  of  a  certain  royal  family  of 
China.  We  first  entered  a  large  enclosure,  then 
a  goodly-sized  audience  room,  and  next  the 
temple  proper.  The  three  walls  of  this  room 
(as  I  remember  them)  were  fitted  up  like  an 
immense  cabinet,  with  rows  of  drawers,  each 
supposed  to  contain  some  document  relating  to 
that  particular  ancestor.  There  was  one  up- 
right vacant  space  which  the  guide  said  would 
be  filled  when  that  branch  of  the  family  died. 

We  were  here  without  a  ''Murray,"  as  in 
Java  and  Siam,  so  we  graciously  accepted  such 
information  as  our  most  intelligent  guide  could 
give  us,  who,  by  the  way,  was  the  original  guide  of 
Canton,  two  sons  now  following  in  his  footsteps, 
for  the  father  in  his  later  years  rarely  accom- 
panies parties.  He  is  a  gentleman,  affable,  well 
dressed  in  Chinese  brocade,  and  less  unrespon- 
sive than  are  most  Chinese;  it  was  indeed  a 
pleasure  to  be  ''conducted"  by  him. 

The  Hall  of  Examination  is  open  to  the  pub- 
lic only  once  in  three  years,  when  students  of 
high-school  grade  are  examined  for  entrance  to 
a  university  course,  eighty-seven  of  the  appli- 
cants being  chosen.  The  hall  has,  on  three 
sides,   little   box-like  slates   about  six   by  eight 


214    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

feet,  furnished  with  only  a  plank  on  which  the 
student  must  sit  and  sleep.  He  is  shut  in  there 
for  three  days,  food  being  given  him  on  entering 
for  the  entire  time.  This  torture  is  repeated 
three  times,  so  that  nine  days  of  purgatory  have 
to  be  endured  before  the  goal  is  reached. 

The  aristocracy  of  Canton  is  not  one  of  wealth, 
but  of  intellectual  honors ;  many  of  the  China- 
men who  are  seen  wearing  horn-rimmed  spec- 
tacles are  either  of  a  literary  turn  of  mind  or 
are  attempting  to  pass  as  such. 

Seen  from  the  city  wall  or  any  very  high 
point,  Canton  seems  a  city  of  roofs,  with  scarcely 
an  opening  and  not  a  vestige  of  green.  The 
narrow  streets  are  many  of  them  covered  with 
awnings.  It  is  a  city  of  great  color,  the  brilliant 
signs,  the  covered  palanquin  chairs,  the  costumes 
of  the  wealthy  Chinese,  all  contributing  to  the 
riotous  effect.  It  is  a  city  of  very  wide  contrasts, 
for  rich  and  poor  jostle  each  other  on  the  streets 
and  their  homes  are  often  side  by  side. 

Canton  is,  after  all,  even  with  the  noise, 
smells,  and  dirt  included,  a  fascinating  city,  and 
while  one  would  not  care  to  remain  long  in  it, 
one  should  never  omit  it. 

Shameen,  the  island  of  concession,  where  are 
located  two  hotels,  consulates,  churches,  some 
shops,  and  the  homes  of  all  the  foreign  residents, 
is  a  most  pleasing  place.  Long  avenues  of  trees 
are  seen  on  every  side,  the  grounds  of  many  of 


<2 


CO 


thp:  origin  of  canton     215 

the  homes  sloping  to  the  river,  which  of  itself 
adds  to  the  beauty;  the  water  is  spanned  by 
two  iron  bridges  which  are  locked  every  night ; 
everywhere  a  general  air  of  refinement  prevails. 
This  very  Shameen  furnishes  the  greatest  con- 
trast of  all  to  hoary,  venerable  old  Canton. 

It  is  claimed  that  Canton's  origin  dates  from 
three  hundred  years  before  the  Christian  era. 
The  city  was  then  encircled  by  a  kind  of  stock- 
ade made  of  bamboo  and  river  mud,  and  it 
resembled  a  camp  in  most  of  its  details.  A 
thousand  years  and  Canton  is  alluded  to  as  a 
commercial  city,  with  a  special  commissioner  ap- 
pointed by  the  Government  to  superintend  for- 
eign trade.  At  an  early  date  the  great  pass 
was  constructed  through  the  Mei-hung  range  of 
mountains,  and  this  proves  to  be  one  of  the  princi- 
pal trade-routes  in  use  at  the  present  time.  An- 
other thousand  years  and  we  have  the  city  of 
to-day,  with  its  peculiar  conditions,  its  fascina- 
tions. Surely  its  age  commands  our  respect.  Its 
people,  seemingly  impassive,  are  a  subject  for 
study,  as  are  all  the  Chinese.  Will  the  Western 
mind  ever  be  able  to  understand  this  ?  I  have 
a  theory  that  behind  the  impassiveness  there  is 
a  certain  kind  of  •  responsiveness  if  it  can  be 
reached,  but  thus  far  I  have  only  been  able  to 
test  it  upon  house  servants  in  California  and 
those  who  have  served  us  at  different  points  in 
our  trip.     I  have  met  persons  who  share  my  be- 


216    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

lief,  their  opinion  being  based  on  an  acquaint- 
ance with  the  educated  class. 

-♦- 

Macao,  March  2Hth:  We  again  took  the 
steamer  Kian  Tang  for  an  eighty-mile  run  to 
Macao.  The  scene  is  quite  as  varied  and  pleas- 
ing as  the  passage  from  Hong-Kong  to  Canton. 
There  were  numerous  islands,  and,  on  the  main- 
land, villages  were  seen  with  occasional  forts 
which  told  the  story  of  past  invasions.  Rice 
fields  and  great  groves  of  mulberry  trees  in- 
dicated some  of  the  chief  industries  of  China. 
Macao  is  situated  on  the  western  shores  of  the 
estuary  of  the  great  Pearl  River,  sometimes 
called  Canton  River.  It  was  founded  early  in  the 
sixteenth  century  by  the  Portuguese,  who  were 
the  first  nation  to  invade  the  Eastern  seas  in 
the  interest  of  commerce,  having  aided  the 
Chinese  during  the  invasion  of  pirates.  As  a  re- 
ward, in  the  year  1557,  the  rocky  peninsula  was 
given  to  them,  the  Portuguese  having  previously 
made  use  of  it  as  a  trading-station  and  a  naval 
depot. 

Macao  is  beautifully  located  high  above  the 
sea,  and  the  approach  is  fine;  the  first  impres- 
sion is  of  a  Mediterranean  port,  but  on  landing, 
the  style  of  the  buildings  and  the  arrangement  of 
the  streets  reminded  me  of  Spain,  while  the 
blended  coloring  on  the  parapet  and  walls 
(which  only  time  can  give)  was  like  Ponta  Del- 


AN   OPIUM  FACTORY  217 

gada  of  the  Azores.  Our  hotel  stood  on  an 
eminence  overlooking  the  sea,  indeed  so  near  the 
sea  that  the  moan  and  swish  of  the  waves  were 
always  with  us.  The  view  from  my  balcony 
brought  to  mind  the  outlook  from  the  old  mon- 
astery at  Amalfi,  Italy.  The  whole  atmosphere 
of  the  place  was  peaceful,  and  this  was  its  chief 
attraction.  We  were  there  over  Sunday,  and  the 
impression  was  deepened.  Our  arrival  being 
early  in  the  morning,  we  at  once  commenced  our 
tour  of  observation,  our  guide  seeming  quite 
intelligent.  We  knew  that  the  population  of 
Macao  was  about  eighty  thousand,  and,  with 
the  exception  of  a  few  Portuguese  officials,  en- 
tirely Chinese,  so  we  were  prepared  for  Chinese 
scenes,  and  it  seemed  quite  consistent  that  we 
should  first  visit  a  large  opium  factory,  this  drug 
being  one  of  the  large  exports  of  Macao.  Here 
was  explained  the  entire  process  of  manufacture, 
from  the  poppy  leaf  to  the  final  shipment;  and 
for  a  further  object  lesson,  we  were  taken  into 
a  room  arranged  for  smoking  opium,  where  sat 
three  richly  dressed  Chinamen,  half  reclining; 
two  had  already  passed  into  the  temporary  land 
of  bliss  and  the  third  had  the  far-away  look  in 
his  eyes  that  betokened  semi-unconsciousness. 

The  fourteenth-century  fa9ade  of  San  Paulo 
greatly  interested  us  aside  from  its  architectural 
merit ;  it  stands  to-day,  as  it  has  stood  for  gener- 
ations,   the   sole   remnant    of    a   fine    cathedral 


218    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

which  perished  in  an  earthquake.  It  is  hke  a 
sentinel  pointing  the  way  to  a  better  hfe.  The 
modern  CathoHc  cathedral  had  no  distinctive 
features.  The  English  church  was  unpreten- 
tious, but  the  Protestant  cemetery  adjoining 
contains  tablets  sacred  to  the  memory  of  many 
military  and  naval  officers  and  also  of  mission- 
aries and  their  families ;  I  remember  especially 
the  stone  erected  to  a  Rev.  Mr.  Morrison,  one 
of  the  early  missionaries  to  China. 

Macao's  chief  claim  to  renown  is  its  asso- 
ciation with  Camoens,  the  great  Portuguese  poet 
of  the  sixteenth  century,  whose  epic  poem,  *'The 
Lusiads,"  has  been  translated  into  most  known 
languages.  This  poem  was  written  during  his 
ten  years'  residence  in  Macao,  and  the  garden, 
grotto,  and  bust  of  Camoens  are  all  a  memorial 
tribute  from  a  fellow  countryman,  Lorenco 
Marques.  The  garden  and  grotto  were  inter- 
esting, and  the  bronze  bust  which  rests  on  a 
block  whereon  is  engraved  a  poem  to  Macao 
by  an  Enghsh  scholar.  Sir  John  Bowring,  is  fine 
in  design  and  execution.  It  is  interesting  to 
note  that  through  "The  Lusiads"  Camoens  was 
permitted  to  return  to  Portugal  to  end  his  days, 
he  having  been  banished  twice  because  his 
views  were  too  outspoken.  He  died  at  Lisbon 
in  1580. 

The  shops  in  Macao  were  of  no  special  in- 
terest, and  the  street  scenes  lacked  life  and  color. 


THE   PRAIA   GRANDA  219 

A  long  drive  followed  luncheon,  first  to  the  won- 
derful Bund,  here  called  Praia  Granda,  which  is 
semi-circular  like  the  harbor,  and  the  street  front- 
ing the  water  is  lined  with  homes  or  business 
houses.  Not  one  discordant  note  is  here  found. 
The  drive  is  protected  on  the  water  side  by  a 
high  stone  coping,  and  it  was  being  extended  far 
beyond  the  original  curve  on  the  right-hand 
side,  while  at  the  left  it  leads  out  into  a  prolonged 
drive,  first  on  the  heights  where  are  located 
residences  and  a  club,  then  on  to  the  country, 
until  we  reach  the  dividing  line  between  a  Portu- 
guese possession  and  China.  This  is  marked 
by  an  imposing  arch.  On  the  outskirts  we  visited 
several  factories,  one  for  weaving  matting,  an- 
other for  the  manufacture  of  every  form  of  fire- 
works (a  regular  Fourth  of  July  supply),  and 
that  the  realism  should  not  be  missing,  some 
small  boys  on  the  corner  exploded  a  bunch  of 
fire-crackers. 

There  were  other  factories,  but  the  most  in- 
teresting was  one  devoted  to  the  manufacture  of 
silk  thread  from  cocoons.  It  was  very  large,  and 
only  women  and  girls  were  there  employed,  and 
the  deft  way  in  which  they  caught  the  silk  end 
from  the  cocoon  (the  latter  is  first  placed  in 
boiling  water)  and  wound  it  on  reels  quite  won 
our  admiration.  We  were  then  taken  to  rooms 
where  large  twists  of  silk  were  placed  ready  for 
shipment  to  England,  a  package  not  over  two 


220    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

feet  square  representing  an  investment  of  many 
thousands  of  dollars.  The  long  drive  to  the 
hotel  ended  an  eventful  day;  the  evening  was 
to  furnish  further  excitement  in  a  visit  to  some 
fan-tan  parlors  for  which  Macao  is  noted ;  indeed, 
it  is  the  Monte  Carlo  of  the  Far  East,  and  I 
fear  this  feature  attracts  more  tourists  than  the 
beauty  of  the  location.  Certain  it  is  that  the 
steamers  from  Hong-Kong  supply  a  large  con- 
tingent that  comes  hither  daily,  since  both  fan- 
tan  and  lotteries  are  prohibited  in  Hong-Kong. 
All  the  parlors  are  under  Chinese  management 
and  are  extensively  patronized.  Some  are  said 
to  be  very  luxurious  in  their  appointments, 
being,  of  course,  for  the  wealthy  patrons,  who 
do  not,  however,  sit  on  the  floor  where  the 
gambling  is  going  on,  but  in  a  little  room  ar- 
ranged with  galleries  all  around.  Their  ser- 
vants sit  below  and  receive  from  them  an  indi- 
cation as  to  certain  numbers  which  may  win  or 
lose  as  the  wheel  of  fortune  turns.  There  are 
retiring-rooms  for  the  opium  smokers  and  sepa- 
rate places  for  serving  refreshments.  Such  a 
condition  represents  the  aristocratic  status  of 
the  game.  The  reverse  aspect  is  seen  in  the  mis- 
erable *' joints,"  which  are  too  dreadful  even  to 
contemplate.  Here  is  where  Macao  derives  the 
revenue  to  carry  on  its  fine  improvements,  and, 
as  in  Bangkok,  there  is  no  intimation  of  a 
desire  to  reform  the  evil. 


A   CHINESE   SERVICE  m 

The  Chinese  have  also  invaded  Burma,  and 
intermarriage  with  the  Burmese  maidens  is  be- 
coming general.  Java  is  not  exempt  from  their 
presence;  in  Siam  they  are  very  numerous;  in 
Singapore  they  permeate  everywhere;  and  in 
Macao  they  are  possessors  of  the  field.  Truly 
their  colonizing  power  is  tremendous,  and,  un- 
like the  British,  they  commence  downward  and 
work  upward,  the  coolie  ever  being  the  advance 
guard. 

On  Sunday  morning  there  was  no  service  at 
the  English  church,  and  so  two  of  our  party, 
by  invitation  of  the  missionary.  Rev.  Mr. 
Todd,  attended  a  Chinese  service  held  in 
rooms  which  were  far  from  adequate  for  their 
needs.  A  Sunday-school  of  about  two  hundred 
children  was  just  leaving  as  we  entered,  and 
their  interested  faces  made  me  hopeful  that 
this  early  influence  might  save  them  from  the 
fan-tan  attraction.  The  service  was  in  Chinese, 
but  the  reverend  gentleman,  not  being  fluent 
in  the  Chinese  language,  first  gave  a  paragraph 
in  English,  and  this  was  translated  by  his  wife 
into  Chinese,  which  made  it  more  interesting 
and  assuredly  more  understandable  to  us.  The 
audience  paid  the  closest  attention,  and  to  my 
surprise  their  faces  revealed  an  animated  re- 
sponse. The  women  were  dressed  in  the  long 
black  coats  and  loose  trousers  seen  everywhere, 
but  their  hair  ornaments  were  of  gold,  set  with 


222    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

jewels,  and  their  earrings  jade  or  large  pearls 
of  great  value.  At  the  close  of  the  service  a 
man  arose  and  evidently  made  a  most  impas- 
sioned appeal,  judging  by  the  intonation  of  his 
voice  and  the  spontaneous  applause  he  received. 
At  the  close  Mr.  Todd  told  us  that  it  was  an  ap- 
peal for  money  with  which  to  secure  a  better 
place  of  meeting,  and  that  the  Chinese  women 
in  front  had  already  given  two  hundred  dollars 
toward  the  movement. 

On  Monday  morning  the  steamer  Suitai 
carried  us  safely  back  to  Hong-Kong.  The 
harbor  looked  more  attractive  than  ever,  and 
we  were  glad  to  be  again  under  English  rule. 
On  entering  the  hotel,  an  incident  occurred  that 
lent  coloring  to  my  "theory."  In  order  to  ex- 
plain, I  must  go  backward.  On  my  first  arrival 
at  the  hotel  I  had  placed  some  photographs  on 
my  chiffonier,  and  among  them  was  the  one  of 
little  Katharine  in  the  dog-cart  with  Omg,  our 
American  China  boy,  standing  by  her.  The 
following  morning  on  entering  my  room,  I  saw 
both  of  the  men  who  were  in  charge  of  the 
cleaning  gazing  intently  at  the  picture;  turning 
around,  one  of  them  asked,  ''You  know  China 
boy?"  I  assented,  and  then  told  him  some- 
thing of  the  Chinamen  who  were  employed  in 
California.  This  seemed  to  please  them  both 
immensely.  On  my  return  from  Canton  and 
Macao,  I  walked  down  a  long  hall  to  my  room 


FINAL   DAYS   IN   HONG-KONG   223 

and  encountered  several  of  the  so-termed  "boys," 
every  one  of  whom  smiled  and  greeted  me.  I 
was  puzzled  for  a  moment,  —  they  had  formerly 
seemed  so  impassive,  —  and  then  I  remembered 
the  morning's  incident  and  inferred  that  all  had 
seen  the  picture  and  had  been  told  that  I 
**knew  China  boy." 

Manila  was  in  our  original  itinerary,  and  on 
our  first  arrival  in  Hong-Kong  we  were  given 
our  choice  of  a  trip  there  or  of  the  one  we  had 
enjoyed  at  Canton  and  Macao,  as  the  visit  to 
Manila  would  have  afforded  us  but  one  day  in 
Canton  without  even  a  glimpse  of  Macao.  We 
thought  we  had  chosen  wisely,  but  that  evening, 
when  we  heard  the  enthusiastic  report  of  sev- 
eral who  had  just  returned  from  Manila,  I 
regretted  that  we  could  not  have  done  both, 
which  would  be  my  advice  to  all  future  tourists. 

We  had  three  more  days  in  Hong-Kong. 
There  were  jinrikisha  rides,  shopping,  and  at- 
tendance at  a  Chinese  theatre  where  much 
noise,  vigorous  action,  and  very  little  dramatic 
talent  were  in  evidence.  It  was,  however,  in- 
teresting to  watch  the  people,  and  to  note  their 
enthusiasm,  with  no  impassiveness  now,  as  well 
as  the  peculiar  itiixture  of  costumes.  The 
business  streets  were  full  of  life  and  action,  and 
the  shops  contained  a  very  tempting  array  of 
articles.  One  afternoon  I  took  a  jinrikisha 
ride  on  the  Bund,  past  the  great  warehouses,  or 


2!24    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

godowns  as  they  are  called,  filled  with  goods  or 
food  stuffs  for  shipment  to  every  port  in  China. 
Hong-Kong  also  aims  to  be  a  centre  of  supply 
for  the  shipping  of  the  world  that  comes  to  her 
door,  and  her  dockyards  and  shops  are  said  to 
be  equal  to  the  demand.  Somewhere  I  have 
seen  this  statement,  ''that  if  Hong-Kong  could 
be  a  port  of  origin  instead  of  a  port  of  call,  her 
commercial  importance  would  equal  that  of 
London."  The  means  of  transportation  are 
varied,  including  electric  cars,  carriages,  jinriki- 
shas,  and  sedan  chairs.  These  may  sometimes 
be  seen  following  each  other  in  succession.  The 
streets  show  the  cosmopolitan  side  of  the  city's 
life,  as  denizens  of  almost  every  clime  assemble 
there,  in  the  interest  of  business  or  of  pleasure. 
The  militia  gives  a  dash  of  color  to  the  scene, 
—  the  officers  with  their  uniforms,  and  the  ever- 
present  Tommy  Atkins  in  his  khaki  suit,  —  be- 
sides the  wealthy  Chinese  in  robes  of  brocade, 
the  first  of  the  kind  we  had  seen,  and  the  coolie 
in  short  jacket  and  blue  knee  trousers,  the  color 
being  a  badge  of  servitude.  The  English  social 
life  of  the  city  is  also  said  to  be  very  agreeable 
to  residents,  or  to  those  who  remain  long  enough 
to  participate  in  it,  and  I  can  now  understand 
the  enthusiasm  of  friends  who  once  resided  there. 
When  we  left  Hong-Kong,  we  felt  that  we  could 
have  lingered  much  longer  and  been  happy. 


w;4 


<5 

CO 


SHANGHAI  225 

Shanghai:  Our  approach  to  Shanghai  was 
through  the  Wusung  River,  as  all  large  steamers 
are  obliged  to  anchor  at  the  bar.  A  launch  was 
taken  for  a  ride  of  sixteen  miles.  The  river 
banks  were  picturesque,  and  little  villages  were 
succeeded  by  a  vast  amount  of  shipping,  while 
factories  and  warehouses  from  an  artistic  stand- 
point spoiled  a  large  space  of  the  water  front, 
the  redeeming  feature  further  on  being  a  Public 
Garden,  the  Consulates,  and  a  collection  of  fine 
business  houses. 

We  arrived  at  Shanghai  on  the  morning  of 
April  6th,  and  at  once  proceeded  to  the  Hotel 
Astor;  then  we  left  almost  immediately  for  a 
general  drive,  as  we  were  to  remain  only  for  the 
day.  We  first  visited  the  native  quarter,  where 
the  streets  were  narrow;  but,  in  comparison 
with  Canton,  they  seemed  much  less  crowded. 
We  saw  the  exterior  of  some  temples  and  an  in- 
teresting tea-house  and  bazar  which  were  simi- 
lar in  arrangement  to  those  in  Canton,  and  con- 
tained about  the  same  articles.  The  native  town 
is  very  tame  in  comparison  with  Canton.  Be- 
fore luncheon  we  visited  two  large  silk  houses, 
where  we  examined  a  remarkable  display  of  all 
kinds  of  silks  and  embroideries.  After  luncheon 
we  proceeded  to  take  what  is  called  the  *' Bub- 
bling Well  Drive,"  first  exploring  two  interesting 
tea-houses,  one  called  the  ''Mandarin  Tea- 
house "  being  very  elegant  in  all  of  its  appoint- 


226    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

ments.  It  had  a  garden  arranged  in  conven- 
tional Chinese  style,  with  a  rockery,  miniature 
lal^e,  and  dwarf  trees.  On  the  ride  to  BubbUng 
Well  Road,  we  saw  many  beautiful  homes  of 
modern  European  style,  Shanghai  being  con- 
sidered a  very  desirable  residence  for  foreigners. 
After  visiting  other  points  of  interest,  in  the  late 
afternoon  we  returned  to  our  steamer,  having 
had  time  only  for  a  bird's-eye  view  of  Shanghai 
and  a  brief  outline  of  its  places  of  interest. 

Shanghai  is  situated  on  the  left  bank  of  a 
stream  called  the  Hiangpo,  a  tributary  of  the 
Yangtse  River.  Formerly  there  were  an  Eng- 
lish settlement  and  an  American  settlement, 
the  latter  with  no  legal  claims.  These  are 
now  merged  into  the  foreign  settlement.  There 
is  also  a  French  colony,  with  its  numerous 
concessions. 

The  history  of  the  city  may  be  divided  into 
two  sections,  the  pre-foreign  period  and  the 
foreign  period.  In  both  there  has  been  a  con- 
tinuous increase  of  prosperity  and  importance, 
due  to  furnishing  unusual  facilities  for  fostering 
trade.  In  the  early  years  Shanghai  was  subject 
to  frequent  raids  and  disturbances,  and  in  1543 
there  was  a  general  devastation.  Foreign  resi- 
dence was  sanctioned  only  as  a  result  of  the  first 
Chinese  war.  The  signing  of  the  treaty  of  Nan- 
king threw  open  Shanghai  and  four  other  ports 
to  foreign  trade,  the  latter  being  Swatow,  Amoy, 


THE   NANKING   ROAD  2^27 

Foochow,  and  Ningpoo,  but  these  have  never 
acquired  the  importance  of  Shanghai,  which  has 
the  advantage  of  being  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Yangtse  River. 

In  1849  a  concession  was  granted  to  the 
French,  but  as  late  as  1850  there  were  only  one 
hundred  and  fifty-seven  foreign  residents,  and 
twenty -five  foreign  firms  doing  business.  Shang- 
hai is  distinctively  a  commercial  city,  with  a 
flat  location,  no  background,  and  an  artificial 
foreground  of  solid  rows  of  business  buildings. 
The  approach  to  the  city  reveals  a  succession  of 
mills,  docks,  wharves,  engineering  works,  and 
buildings  of  every  description,  except  those  of 
artistic  and  pleasing  appearance.  The  princi- 
pal streets,  the  Bund  and  the  Nanking  Road, 
run  at  right  angles  to  each  other,  and  the  chief 
thoroughfares  run  parallel  to  these  two.  The 
Bund  is  broad,  fronting  the  water,  and  is  a  popu- 
lar thoroughfare.  The  Nanking  Road  deserves 
special  mention.  It  begins  as  a  narrow  passage- 
way with  foreign  business  houses  on  each  side; 
it  then  widens,  and  has  Chinese  shops,  with, 
later  on,  the  recreation  ground.  Town  Hall,  and 
Library.  Farther  on  it  is  known  as  Bubbling 
Well  Road. 

Shanghai,  as  a  residence  for  the  European,  is 
said  to  be  the  finest  city  in  the  East  as  regards 
modern  conveniences,  finer  than  any  place  east 
of    Suez,    but    it    is    a    city    of    contrasts.      No 


228    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

centre  can  offer  a  wider  choice  for  enjoyment, 
—  the  public  recreation  ground  covering  eight 
thousand  acres.  Within  this  enclosure  is  the 
race  course,  where  cricket,  football,  hockey, 
tennis,  golf,  polo,  and  baseball  are  played;  and 
numberless  pavilions,  dressing-rooms,  and  a 
swimming-bath  are  included  in  the  adjacent 
building  —  all  free  to  the  public.  There  are 
in  addition  many  clubs  of  a  private  nature, 
some  social  and  others  musical,  and  many  of 
them  owning  fine  buildings.  Matters  of  edu- 
cation are  not  neglected,  and  the  public  schools 
even  include  kindergartens.  There  are  like- 
wise private  schools,  but  the  provisions  for  edu- 
cating Chinese  children  are  very  inadequate,  and 
mostly  of  the  mission  order.  The  Roman  Catho- 
lic missions  have  excellent  schools  and  well- 
equipped  buildings.  There  is  a  fine  American 
College,  St.  John's,  that  grants  degrees.  Some 
institutions  are  managed  by  the  Chinese,  the 
principal  one  being  the  Imperial  Polytechnic 
College,  which  is  housed  in  a  fine  block  of 
buildings.  There  are  also  various  organizations 
of  an  intellectual  order,  such  as  the  Royal 
Asiatic  Society,  which  is  affiliated  with  a  society 
of  the  same  name  in  England ;  and  an  Ameri- 
can Asiatic  Society  to  further  interests  in  the 
Far  East.  iVrchitects,  engineers,  and  mission- 
aries likewise  have  their  guilds. 

The   religious   life   of  the   settlement  is  very 


I 


"5: 
?0 


COALINCx  AT  NAGASAKI         229 

diversified,  and  includes  Jews,  Parsees,  Mo- 
hammedans, Greek  and  Roman  Catholics,  and 
members  of  the  Anglican  Church ;  the  various 
forms  of  the  Protestant  Church  are  represented, 
and  most  of  the  missions  have  their  headquarters 
here. 

We  returned  to  our  steamer  in  the  evening, 
and  sailed  on  for  Kobe,  our  point  of  depart- 
ure, but  we  had  "stop-over  privileges  at  Naga- 
saki." Our  intervening  day  was  passed  mostly 
on  deck,  the  weather  being  fine. 

-♦- 

Nagasaki,  April  8th:  We  arrived  at  Naga- 
saki on  the  morning  of  April  8th  in  a  pouring 
rain  which  rather  dampened  our  ardor,  inasmuch 
as  we  had  a  full  day's  programme  arranged. 
We  went  ashore,  however,  and  proceeded  to  the 
Cliff  House  for  a  short  time,  but  as  the  storm 
increased  we  returned  to  the  steamer  somewhat 
crestfallen.  The  Korea  was  taking  on  coal 
when  we  left,  but  on  our  return  there  was  an 
ominous  silence,  and  we  learned  that  the  workers, 
thoroughly  drenched,  had  struck  and  that  the 
vessel  would  be  compelled  to  remain  another 
day.  Hope  revived  amongst  us,  and  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning  the  sun  was  shining  brightly. 
This  was  the  only  time  I  have  known  a  strike 
to  be  of  benefit. 

The  process  of  taking  on  coal  was  very  pecu- 
liar.    Ladders  were  placed  up  the  sides  of  the 


230    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

steamer,  relays  of  men  and  women  were  ar- 
ranged in  nine  rows,  counting  from  the  bottom; 
coal  was  placed  in  baskets  and  passed  up  in  fire- 
bucket  fashion  with  the  utmost  quickness  and 
dexterity.  It  continued  incessantly  until  the 
work  was  completed.  There  were  more  women 
than  men  working,  and  they  all  wore  pointed 
white  handkerchiefs  over  their  heads. 

A  steam  launch  conveyed  us  to  Nagasaki,  and 
once  there  we  took  a  jinrikisha  for  a  memorable 
mountain  ride  of  five  miles,  along  a  road  called 
the  Mogi.  We  ascended  gradually  from  the  sea- 
level,  and  soon  the  loveliest  view  was  spread  be- 
fore us.  On  our  right,  looking  downward,  were 
the  sea  and  the  city  rising  in  terraces  from  the 
water,  the  hillsides  covered  with  foliage,  all 
sparkling  in  the  morning  light;  on  our  left, 
foothills,  and  beyond  these  the  mountains.  We 
stopped  at  a  Japanese  tea-house  to  rest  the 
jinrikisha  men,  and  soon  after,  we  came  to  a 
point  in  the  landscape  said  to  be  represented  in 
the  opera  of  ''Madame  Butterfly."  Reaching 
the  Mogi,  we  found  another  tea-house,  and  we 
all  alighted  and  roamed  around  the  point,  where 
we  had  a  magnificent,  far-reaching  panorama. 
The  descent  was  quite  as  enjoyable,  and  alto- 
gether we  voted  the  ride  an  entire  success. 

We  next  visited  some  bazars.  The  temples 
were  omitted,  but  I  later  visited  them  on  my 
return  trip  to  North  China.     Then  we  returned 


31 


A  SATSUMA  STUDIO  231 

to  the  steamer  for  a  late  luncheon,  and  the  bevy 
of  animated  coal-heavers  were  still  at  work.  The 
day  following  was  our  last  on  the  steamer,  and 
our  way  lay  through  one  portion  of  the  Inland 
Sea,  meaning  a  narrow  waterway,  the  shores  of 
which  were  visible  on  both  sides. 

-♦- 

Kobe  :  We  arrived  at  Kobe  on  the  evening 
of  April  10th,  and  fell  at  once  into  the  grasp  of 
the  custom-house  authorities,  who  proved,  how- 
ever, very  lenient.  Our  valued  Director  here 
left  us  to  go  on  to  Yokohama  and  was  succeeded 
by  a  Japanese  guide,  Mr.  Macheeda,  who  took 
charge  of  four  of  the  party,  small  groups  and 
native  guides  being  the  policy  in  Japan. ^  Our 
abiding-place  in  Kobe  was  the  Oriental  Hotel. 

The  following  morning  we  went  out  early  in 
jinrikishas  for  a  general  ride  through  Kobe, 
going  first  to  the  distant  waterfall  in  the  moun- 
tains, which  really  proved  a  fine  spectacle. 
Next  we  visited  temples,  then  some  shops  or 
bazars,  and  a  Satsuma  studio,  where  the  whole 
art  process  was  explained  to  us  by  a  most  cour- 
teous Japanese,  who  spoke  English  perfectly. 
All  the  appointments  of  the  studio  were  truly 
Japanese,  including'  the  sliding  windows  and 
doors,  the  hardwood  floor  and  the  matting  walls. 
Here  tea  and  little  cakes  were  served  to  us. 

^  Mr.  Macheeda  proved  himself  worthy  of  his  descent 
from  the  Samurai;  always  a  gentleman  and  a   perfect  guide. 


232    TRAVELS  IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

We  then  went  to  another  studio  with  a  differ- 
ent interior.  This  was  larger  and  more  preten- 
tious. Again  the  process  was  explained  to  us 
in  the  same  courteous  way,  and  we  realized 
that  we  were  now  in  a  land  where  good  manners 
prevailed.  A  heavy  rain  unfortunately  set  in, 
and  we  were  compelled  to  return  to  the  hotel. 

Onomichi:  The  following  day  we  took  the 
train  for  Onomichi,  arriving  at  our  destination 
in  the  evening.  Here  we  were  to  have  a  new 
experience,  the  hotel  being  strictly  Japanese, 
with  not  a  word  of  English  spoken.  First,  we 
were  asked  to  remove  our  shoes  and  put  on 
slippers,  the  alternative  being  cotton  coverings 
for  our  own  shoes.  I  preferred  the  latter.  The 
house  was  quite  large,  consisting  of  two  stories. 
The  first  floor  was,  however,  occupied  by  the 
family.  The  second  floor  was  entirely  devoted 
to  our  party,  whose  suite  included  several 
rooms  with  movable  screens  so  arranged  that 
one  large  room  could  be  converted  into  two. 
There  were  sliding  windows,  paper  taking  the 
place  of  glass. 

Our  beds  were  the  futons,  composed  of  dark 
red  comforters,  one  below  and  one  above  us, 
with  another  hard  roll  for  the  head.  There 
were  no  chairs  in  the  sleeping-rooms,  but 
washstands  had  been  improvised,  there  being 
dressing-rooms    outside  of   some   of  the  rooms. 


^ 


CHERRY  BLOSSOM  AVENUE  2SS 

Concession  was  made  us  in  the  improvised 
dining-room,  a  table  and  chairs  being  reserved 
for  our  special  use.  On  one  side  of  this  room 
there  was  a  slightly  raised  floor,  and  here  were 
pretty  little  side  tables  and  bronze  ornaments. 
Our  guide  had  very  considerately  brought  some 
canned  goods  with  him  and  also  some  bread; 
the  family,  however,  furnished  us  with  eggs  and 
tea.  The  mother  and  two  daughters  were  bright 
and  sunny,  as  were  the  little  Japanese  maids 
who  attended  to  the  menial  work.  It  was 
altogether  a  novel  experience.  The  next  morn- 
ing, however,  the  rain  was  coming  down  in 
torrents,  and  there  was  no  possibility  of  our 
taking  a  steamer  for  a  trip  of  several  hours  to 
the  sacred  island  of  Miyajima,  so  we  reluctantly 
boarded  the  morning  train  for  Osaka,  arriving 
there  late  in  the  afternoon. 

Osaka,  April  ISth :  The  next  morning  dawned 
brightly,  and  we  left  in  jinrikishas  for  a  general 
tour,  first  visiting  the  fort  where  stands  a  noted 
castle,  very  picturesque  in  appearance.  We 
then  visited  the  Exposition  of  Industrial  Arts, 
which  did  not  seem  unlike  an  exposition  at 
home  in  its  general  arrangements.  The  goods 
displayed,  however,  were  very  different.  Then 
we  had  a  ride  along  Cherry  Blossom  Avenue, 
the  trees  being  laden  with  the  pale  pink  flower. 
We  visited  bazars  and  noted  the  general  aspect 


234    TRAVELS   IN  THE   FAR  EAST 

of  the  place,  canals  being  a  dominant  char- 
acteristic of  the  landscape.  We  saw  a  particu- 
larly fine  temple  among  many  others.  Osaka 
is  a  commercial  city  of  great  wealth  and  is  more 
celebrated  from  a  business  point  of  view  than 
from  its  artistic  aspect. 

After  luncheon  we  went  to  Yaba  Meczan's 
Satsuma  studio.  This  artist  is  celebrated,  hav- 
ing taken  prizes  at  both  the  Chicago  and  St. 
Louis  Expositions,  and  his  work  surpassed  any 
I  had  ever  seen.  The  decoration  on  some  of  the 
vases  was  so  fine  that  it  required  a  glass  to  bring 
out  the  full  and  minute  detail.  In  designing 
and  decorating  these  vases  the  work  has  to  be 
done  with  a  magnifying  glass,  which  is  a  very 
severe  strain  on  the  eyes.  We  then  proceeded 
up  what  is  called  Theatre  Street,  so  named  be- 
cause of  the  situation  of  several  playhouses  in 
the  midst  of  prominent  shops.  Banners  and 
signs  were  displayed  in  every  available  space, 
all  of  dift'erent  colors,  and  the  general  effect  was 
very  unusual  as  they  floated  in  the  breeze. 
Later  in  the  afternoon  we  took  a  train  for 
Kyoto. 

Kyoto,  April  15th:  The  following  morning 
another  heavy  rain  greeted  us.  We  were  now 
in  the  Japanese  city  which  retains  more  of  the 
old  life  and  customs  than  any  other,  not  having 
been    spoiled    as    yet    by    modern    innovations. 


^ 


Bamboo  Avenue  in  Kyoto 


SHINTO   TEMPI.es  ^S5 

The  bad  weather  abating  in  the  afternoon,  we 
went  to  the  temple  Nishi  Otani.  This  is  situ- 
ated on  quite  an  eminence.  We  crossed  a  stone 
bridge  spanning  a  lotus  pond,  and  walked  up  an 
inclined  way  paved  with  granite,  a  flight  of 
steps  leading  to  the  handsome  main  gate  which 
faces  a  strikingly  carved  two-storied  structure. 
We  took  our  places  on  the  steps  and  awaited 
the  arrival  of  the  procession  of  Buddhist  priests, 
this  being  the  chief  object  of  our  visit.  They 
came  in  large  numbers,  walking  two  by  two, 
and  arrayed  in  the  most  gorgeous  brocades,  no 
two  being  of  the  same  pattern.  Around  the 
waist  they  wore  wide  sashes  of  equal  richness 
and  beauty,  and  the  effect  was  truly  very  strik- 
ing, as  they  walked  up  the  hill.  This  was  one 
of  the  features  of  the  rite  of  commemoration, 
the  ceremonies  continuing  through  the  week. 
We  then  visited  some  shops,  of  which  there  are 
a  large  number,  all  of  them  very  interesting. 

Shintoism  is  the  State  religion,  and  the  follow- 
ing morning  we  visited  one  of  the  temples, 
named  Kitano  Ten j in.  Entering  through  the 
great  stone  torii  or  gateway,  we  found  stone 
lanterns,  together  with  stone  and  bronze  bulls 
presented  by  devotees.  Another  torii  and  a 
couple  of  two-storied  gates  were  passed  through, 
the  last  being  called  the  Gate  of  the  Three 
Luminaries,  or  the  Sun,  Moon,  and  Stars.  This 
was  the  entrance  to  one  side  of  the  square,  the 


236    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

other  three  sides  being  formed  of  colonnades. 
It  might  be  well  to  explain  that  a  torii  consists 
of  two  upright  columns  several  feet  apart.  At 
the  top  is  a  cross-bar  extending  out  about  one 
foot  on  each  side  and  two  feet  lower  than  the 
top  of  the  columns. 

There  were  many  other  details  noted  by  us, 
and  it  was  perhaps  the  most  effective  Shinto 
temple  that  we  saw.  We  then  visited  Kinkakuji, 
more  commonly  called  the  ''Golden  Pavilion." 
This  is  Buddhist  in  character,  and  there  is  a 
monastery  surrounded  by  a  fine  garden  in  which 
is  another  pavilion.  The  garden  was  artistic, 
in  the  middle  of  which  is  a  lake  with  pine-clad 
shores  and  pine-clad  islets ;  this  indeed  seemed 
unusual  so  near  a  large  city.  The  lake  is  usually 
filled  with  a  flowering  plant  called  junsai  and 
is  stocked  with  carp,  which  always  appear  on 
the  approach  of  visitors,  expecting  to  be  fed. 

All  the  ancient  buildings  have  disappeared 
except  the  Pavilion,  which  was  restored  in  1906. 
It  stands  on  the  water's  edge  and  is  three- 
storied.  Each  floor  is  furnished  with  statuettes 
of  difl'erent  saints  and  has  mural  decorations 
by  Kano  Masanobu.  There  are  very  uimsual 
features  connected  with  this  temple.  The  so- 
called  apartments  are  in  two  sets,  —  one  at- 
tached to  the  main  building  with  pictorial  sliding 
screens  symbolic  of  Chinese  sages  and  other 
subjects  by  Kano.     There  are  also  drawings  of 


,*'      hP  (^ 

fi^^-'-Wr-'', 

^^^^V 

i    '     -lit-— f 
i    ' 

1    fl^^i 

I 


TEAPOT   STREET  237 

birds  and  trees,  and  ornaments  done  by  cele- 
brated artists.  Folding  screens  are  in  common 
use.  One  artistic  group  represents  three  relig- 
ious teachers,  Confucius,  Buddha,  and  Lao  Tze. 
After  showing  these  art  treasures  to  us  the 
priests  served  tea,  while  we  sat  around  in  true 
Japanese  style. 

After  luncheon  we  went  to  still  another  very 
interesting  Buddhist  temple,  Kiyomizu-dera. 
Kyoto  abounds  in  fine  temples.  We  left  our 
jinrikishas  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  and  walked  up 
a  long,  high  lane  called  Teapot  Street  because 
in  all  the  little  shops  bordering  the  thoroughfare 
china  and  teapots  are  displayed,  forming  the 
favorite  purchases  of  the  country  people  who 
frequent  this  temple.  The  building  is  situated 
in  a  striking  position  and  commands  a  view  of 
the  entire  city.  The  two-storied  gateway  at  the 
top  of  the  steps  was  restored  in  1897.  Outside 
this  gate  are  two  pagodas,  each  three-storied, 
and  the  large  green  bell,  dating  from  1624. 
We  then  passed  up  through  a  colonnade  to 
the  main  temple,  whose  rough,  hewn  columns 
and  bare  floor  are  most  unusual.  The  whole 
style  is  original  and  unique.  The  great  festival 
day  here  is  on  the  17th  of  August,  when  a  classic 
concert  is  given,  the  musicians  being  dressed  in 
various  unique  costumes.  They  are  seated  op- 
posite each  other  in  the  wings  like  the  two  sides 
of  a  choir.     A  dancing  stage  extends  the  whole 

32 


238    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

length  of  its  front,  and  this  opens  into  a  hall  full 
of  ex-voto  pictures,  some  of  which  possess  great 
artistic  merit.  Directly  behind  this  main  temple 
are  several  other  temples  and  an  eleven-storied 
pagoda  which  it  is  impossible  to  describe  here 
adequately. 

On  our  homeward  way  we  visited  the  Art 
Museum.  This  and  the  museum  at  Nara  con- 
tain the  very  best  collections  of  early  Japanese 
statuary.  The  exhibits  have  been  taken  or 
borrowed  from  time  to  time  from  various  Bud- 
dhist temples  in  Kyoto  and  the  surrounding 
provinces.  Some  date  from  the  seventh  and 
eighth  centuries,  when  Buddhist  carving  was  at 
the  height  of  its  excellence.  There  are.  also 
screens,  ancient  manuscripts,  swords,  armor, 
musical  instruments,  coins,  imperial  robes,  and 
miscellaneous  articles. 

To  vary  the  programme  a  little,  we  made  an 
excursion  on  the  following  day  to  Lake  Biwa, 
some  miles  distant.  This  is  a  very  celebrated 
body  of  water  in  Japan.  We  had  our  choice 
between  returning  to  Kyoto  by  the  more  exciting 
w^ay  of  the  canal  with  its  long  tunnels  or  going 
to  Otsu.    We  chose  the  latter. 

Near  Otsu  there  is  the  largest  pine  tree  in 
the  world,  and  it  has  been  trained  in  the  pecu- 
liar conventional  manner  employed  by  the  Jap- 
anese. Here  we  had  a  picnic  luncheon  and 
then    drove    some    distance    to    the  heights    of 


VARIED   TRANSPORTATION      239 

Otsu,  where  one  hundred  and  thirty  monasteries 
and  temples  are  said  to  be  grouped.  We  walked 
up  the  incline,  passing  many  temples  and  seeing 
a  very  ancient  bronze  bell  of  great  historic  in- 
terest. Descending,  we  went  through  the  village 
of  Otsu,  which  has  quite  a  reputation,  since  it 
was  the  scene  of  what  might  have  been  a  very 
serious  accident  to  the  present  Emperor  of 
Russia,  then  czarevitch.  He  was  accompanied 
by  Prince  George  of  Greece,  now  King  George, 
when  savagely  attacked  by  an  insane  man. 
Certain  disaster  would  have  followed  had  it  not 
been  for  the  presence  of  mind  of  the  Prince. 

We  reached  Kyoto  at  5  p.  m.,  having  had  a 
long,  though  extremely  delightful  day.  Ex- 
cursions being  in  order,  we  went  the  next  day 
to  ''shoot  the  rapids  ending  at  Arashi-yama." 
We  had  various  means  of  transportation  during 
the  day,  jinrikishas,  trains,  and  a  short  railway 
trip  which  was  highly  picturesque,  the  line 
running  along  just  above  the  dashing  river.  At 
Hozu  we  took  the  boat  for  the  descent  of  the 
rapids  down  to  the  landing-place  of  Arashi- 
yama,  and  this  was  a  most  exciting  experience, 
the  passage  taking  about  an  hour  and  a  half. 
Great  care  had  to  be  observed  by  the  pilots  of 
the  boats,  as  there  were  several  parties  going 
down  and  many  others  returning.  The  shores 
of  the  river  were  very  interesting,  being  high 
wooded    hills    which    were    abloom.      Arashi- 


240    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

yama  is  famous  for  its  cherry  blossoms.  We 
had  a  picnic  luncheon  here  and  returned  to 
Kyoto  by  train. 

On  Easter  Sunday  I  attended  a  union  ser- 
vice, but  afterwards  learned  that  there  was  a 
special  commemoration  at  St.  Mary's,  and  that 
the  Episcopal  Bishop  Partridge  was  at  the  hotel. 
There  seemed  to  be  a  great  deal  of  friendly 
feeling  between  the  different  religious  denomi- 
nations in  Kyoto;  a  little  booklet  given  us  at 
the  union  service  containing  information  with 
regard  to  all  the  churches,  including  the  Episco- 
pal. Easter  afternoon  we  attended  a  remark- 
able Buddhist  ceremony  in  the  Chroin  Temple 
on  a  high  hill.  At  least  seventy-five  priests  were 
in  attendance,  all  arrayed  in  their  gorgeous 
brocaded  robes  and  sitting  in  parallel  lines  op- 
posite each  other.  It  seemed  to  be  an  intoned 
service.  We  were  separated  from  the  officiants 
by  an  anteroom  with  a  high  railing,  but  wc 
could  observe  all  that  was  going  on.  This  was 
a  part  of  the  ceremonial  of  the  week  to  which  I 
referred  in  connection  with  the  Buddhist  pro- 
cession. After  watching  for  a  while,  we  walked 
about  and  saw  several  adjacent  temples,  marked 
by  their  spaciousness. 

A  visit  to  the  Nijo  Castle,  by  permit,  was  of 
great  interest.  It  dates  from  IGOl,  and  was 
built  by  leyasu  of  Nikko  memory  for  his  use 
when  visiting  Kyoto.     It  has  even  in  modern 


NIJO   CASTLE  241 

times  considerable  historical  interest,  as  it  was 
here,  on  April  6,  1868,  that  the  Emperor,  on 
obtaining  his  ancestral  rights  by  the  revolution 
then  in  progress,  met  the  Council  of  State  and 
swore  to  grant  a  deliberative  assembly  and  to 
decide  all  measures  by  public  opinion.  For  a 
long  period  Nijo  Castle  was  used  by  the  prefec- 
ture and  was  greatly  damaged.  Since  1883,  it 
has  been  one  of  the  Imperial  Summer  palaces. 
The  apartments  of  the  castle  are  very  beau- 
tiful; the  sliding  screens  between  the  rooms 
and  the  wooden  doors  separating  the  different 
sets  of  apartments  are  all  adorned  with  paint- 
ings of  flowers,  birds,  and  the  like,  done  by 
artists  of  the  Kano  School.  There  is  beautiful 
metal  work,  and  the  reception  hall  is  decorated 
with  representations  of  street  life  in  Kyoto 
and  other  cities.     The  ceiling  is  lacquered. 

We  also  procured  a  permit  to  visit  the  Impe- 
rial Palace,  which  is  placed  in  a  large  garden 
like  a  park.  This  was  spacious,  but  not  so  artis- 
tic as  Nijo ;  there  were  many  dift'erent  buildings. 
We  visited  several,  one  known  as  the  Temple 
of  33,333  Buddhas,  and  after  gazing  at  the 
long  array  of  walls  and  corridors  with  their 
ornaments,  we  accej!)ted  the  estimate  as  accu- 
rate. One  afternoon  the  great  Shinto  procession 
of  the  year  was  in  progress.  We  took  jin- 
rikishas  for  quite  a  long  ride,  and  then  arrived 
at   a    small    suburb    of    Kyoto,  where    we    had 


242    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

places  engaged  on  the  upper  gallery  of  a  house. 
There  were  great  crowds  of  people,  and  we 
waited  a  long  time  before  the  arrival  of  the 
first  shrine.  There  were  five  in  all.  These 
shrines  were  large  and  ornamental,  with  a  great 
deal  of  gilt  about  them,  and  they  were  placed 
on  poles  borne  upon  the  shoulders  of  men. 
Four  other  small  shrines  followed,  and  before 
the  pageant  was  over,  the  afternoon  was  nearly 
consumed.  This  procession  was  on  its  way  to  the 
great  Temple  of  Inari,  several  miles  distant. 

One  morning  we  devoted  to  visiting  two 
cloisonne  studios  and  some  curio  shops.  The 
first  studio,  Nakamura's,  was  very  artistically 
arranged;  one  large  room  encircled  a  minia- 
ture garden  laid  out  in  true  Japanese  style  with 
dwarf  trees,  rockeries,  and  a  tiny  little  lake. 
We  saw  the  whole  process  of  manufacture  and 
it  was  also  explained  to  us.^  The  specimens 
were  very  rare  and  beautiful.  Tea  and  little 
cakes  were  served  and  great  courtesy  extended 
to  us.  The  second  studio  was  similar  to  this, 
but  a  little  larger,  and  again  we  saw  the  garden, 
and  again  tea  was  served.  Several  interesting 
curio  shops  were  visited,  and  we  then  went  to 
the  large  establishment  of  Yamanaka,  who  had 
fine  collections  at  the  Chicago  and  St.  Louis 
Expositions.      We    then    went    over    some   silk 

^  For  a  full  and  picturesque  account  of  this  process,  the 
reader  is  referred  to  Kipling's  "From  Sea  to  Sea." 


f 


^3 


CHERRY  BLOSSOM  DANCE       243 

stores,  the  manufacture  of  silk  being  the  chief 
industry;  one  may  purchase  all  kinds  of  em- 
broidered goods. 

The  annual  Cherry  Blossom  Dance  —  re- 
peated at  intervals  for  one  week  —  occurred  at 
this  time.  It  is  preceded  by  a  ceremonial  tea. 
We  went  at  five  in  the  afternoon  and  were 
seated  around  the  sides  of  a  large  room.  Special 
places  were  arranged  for  the  pouring  of  tea, 
and  presently  a  very  pretty  Japanese  girl  ap- 
peared and  proceeded  to  heat  the  water,  measure 
out  the  tea,  put  it  in  the  teapot,  with  many 
other  movements,  pouring  a  little  water  on  it, 
all  in  the  most  deliberate  manner,  and  finally 
the  preliminaries  were  over,  and  three  pretty 
little  maidens  passed  the  tea  around.  Another 
girl  in  a  bright  kimono  appeared  and  went 
through  the  process  again.  This  was  repeated 
three  or  four  times.  We  then  adjourned  to  a 
very  large  room,  like  a  small  theatre,  with  a 
gallery  at  the  back,  in  which  we  sat.  Opposite 
us  was  a  wide  stage,  and  on  either  side  was  ar- 
ranged a  platform  about  two  feet  wide,  extend- 
ing the  whole  length  of  the  room.  Here  sat  the 
musicians  dressed  as  geisha  girls,  and  the  dan- 
cers, called  Maiko,  were  also  clad  in  the  same 
manner,  with  long  artistic  kimonos  and  flowers 
in  their  hair.  The  dancers  entered  and  pro- 
ceeded to  the  stage;  then  commenced  a  slow 
and    measured    tread,    every    movement    being 


244    TRAVELS  IN  THE   FAR  EAST 

graceful.  Cherry  blossoms  were  everywhere, 
even  forming  the  decorations  on  the  wall. 
Different  figures  were  repeated,  but  all  in  that 
deliberate  manner,  very  little  like  dancing  but 
more  like  a  devotional  exercise.  We  sat  there 
for  about  an  hour,  but  cannot  truthfully  say 
that  we  enjoyed  the  music,  as  it  was  somewhat 
discordant. 

Our  last  day  in  Kyoto  was  a  very  full  one. 
We  visited  shops  in  the  morning,  and  in  the 
afternoon  went  quite  a  distance  to  see  a  his- 
torical procession.  We  were  seated  in  about 
the  same  manner  as  previously  described.  Those 
who  took  part  in  the  procession  were  geisha 
girls  and  novitiates  who  were  to  be  educated  as 
future  geisha  girls,  their  parents  giving  them 
over  to  the  instructors  at  an  early  age.  This 
was  a  very  interesting  pageant.  First  only  one 
or  two  would  appear  in  a  historical  costume  of 
very  rich  brocade,  the  hair  most  elaborately 
dressed  with  the  ornaments  peculiar  to  that 
particular  period.  Next  two  little  girls  would 
appear,  also  dressed  in  historical  costumes. 
Then,  after  a  considerable  pause,  there  followed 
another  geisha  girl ;  and  thus  the  procession 
continued  for  over  an  hour.  We  did  not  realize 
until  the  day  following  that  most  of  the  persons 
who  took  part  were  of  questionable  morals. 

In  the  evening  we  attended  a  Japanese  theatre. 
The  play  was  a  historical  tragedy  called  **The 


A   COLLVER-JAPANESE  DINNER  U5 

Forty-seven  Ronans."  The  stage  was  well 
arranged  and  the  action  very  good;  it  was  far 
more  interesting  than  the  Chinese  theatre  pre- 
viously described. 

During  the  week  a  large  CoUver  party  of 
eighteen  arrived  at  the  hotel;  they  were  later 
to  go  to  North  China  and  by  the  Trans-Siberian 
route  to  Russia.  Their  Director  gave  a  Japanese 
dinner  in  which  we  were  included,  Mr.  Burton 
Holmes  and  his  friend  being  the  only  other 
guests  present.  The  dining-room  was  in  the 
Japanese  portion  of  the  hotel,  arranged  with 
rugs  and  draperies  covering  the  hardwood 
floors  in  quite  an  artistic  manner,  and  at  the 
sides  were  placed  cushions  on  which  we  were 
supposed  to  sit  or  kneel.  The  formal  exercises 
were  mostly  conducted  by  geisha  and  Maiko 
girls,  three  officiating  as  musicians,  several 
more  dancing,  and  others  serving  as  attendants. 
Everything  was  done  in  the  most  measured 
manner.  First,  boxes  were  placed  before  us 
containing  four  articles,  all  dishes  of  peculiar 
concoctions.  These  were  intended,  we  imagined, 
for  us  to  look  at  for  a  time  until  the  musicians 
and  dancers  appeared.  The  programme  was 
opened  with  a  musical  number,  which  was  any- 
thing but  musical;  the  dancers  then  took  their 
positions  and  went  through  the  usual  formal 
measures.  There  was  more  music,  then  an- 
other dance.     This  was  repeated  three  or  four 


246    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

times.     The  attendant  geisha  girls  were  seated 
at  intervals  in  front  of  the  guests. 

At  a  certain  signal  the  music  and  dancing 
ceased,  and  trays  were  brought  us  on  whicli  were 
soup  (we  imagined  the  famous  birds'-nest),  a 
cup  of  sake,  two  more  peculiar  dishes,  and  also 
chopsticks  !  By  this  time  the  kneeling  process 
had  become  rather  painful,  and  I  availed  my- 
self of  the  cup  of  sake,  feeling  I  needed  some 
stimulant.  This  was  the  only  refreshment  I 
tried,  but  some  of  the  party  had  the  courage  to 
experiment  further.  After  some  deliberation 
and  a  little  more  converse,  we  arose  from  our 
repast  and  proceeded  to  the  hotel  dining-room, 
where  a  substantial  dinner  was  served  us  at 
nine  o'clock.  This  was  altogether  the  most 
unique  affair  of  the  week  and  greatly  enjoyed 
by  all.  The  eight  days  in  Kyoto  had  flown  and 
we  would  gladly  have  remained  longer.  The 
atmosphere  of  the  place  was  so  truly  of  the  past, 
the  temples  so  very  interesting,  and  the  quaint 
customs  of  the  olden  times  so  well  retained,  that 
it  gave  a  peculiar  charm  to  the  place. 

Nara,  April  2Sd:  A  day's  excursion  to  Nara 
was  planned,  but  a  heavy  rain  somewhat  marred 
our  enjoyment.  Nara  was  once  a  place  of 
much  importance,  the  capital  of  Japan  during 
seven  reigns,  stretching  from  709  to  784  a.  d. 
Its   chief   attraction   now   is    the   great    natural 


KASUGA   TEMPLE  247 

beauty  of  the  place,  some  fine  temples,  and  a 
deer  park.  Kasuga  is  a  noted  Shinto  temple. 
The  approach  is  through  the  celebrated  grounds 
where  were  seen  many  deer,  apparently  very 
tame.  A  fine  avenue  of  cryptomerias  added 
much  to  the  dignity  of  the  approach.  The 
temple  stands  at  the  end  of  a  long  avenue  of 
stone  lanterns,  some  of  which  are  lighted  every 
night.  The  main  temple  is  painted  red,  with 
brass  lanterns,  and  surrounded  by  cryptomerias. 
A  religious  dance,  which  is  held  in  a  building 
near  by,  is  one  of  the  many  attractive  features 
of  this  temple.  The  dress  of  the  dancers  is 
peculiar,  composed  of  a  wide  red  divided  skirt, 
a  white  under-garment,  and  a  long  gauze  mantle. 
The  hair  is  worn  in  a  thick  tress  down  the  back, 
a  chaplet  of  flowers  is  on  the  forehead,  the  face 
very  much  powdered,  and  in  the  hands  are 
carried  either  the  branches  of  a  tree  or  some 
tiny  bells  which  are  swayed  back  and  forth  in 
a  measured  manner.  The  orchestra  consists 
of  three  priests. 

There  is  a  fine  Buddhist  temple,  renovated 
in  1898.  It  is  built  on  the  side  of  a  hill ;  a 
flight  of  steps  leads  up  to  it  and  the  whole  front 
is  covered  with  metal  lanterns  which  produce 
a  weird  eft'ect.  Not  far  distant  is  a  large  temple 
which  contains  a  bronze  Buddha  called  Dai- 
butsu.  When  we  saw  it,  the  temple  was  in  a 
chaotic  condition,  undergoing  renovation.     The 


^48    TRAVELS  IN  THE   FAR  EAST 

height  of  the  Buddha  is  fifty-three  and  one-half 
feet;  the  face  is  sixteen  feet  long  and  nine  and 
one-half  feet  broad.  It  is  in  a  sitting  position, 
with  right  hand  uplifted.  Nara  has  a  fine 
museum,  well  equipped  for  the  study  of  early 
Japanese  religions. 

Yamada,  April  '^Sd:  In  the  afternoon  we 
left  for  Yamada,  the  city  of  the  celebrated 
Temple  of  Ise.  On  arriving,  we  took  quite  a 
drive  up  the  mountain  side  to  Furuichi  and  to 
the  Goni-Kwai  Hotel,  a  large,  beautifully  situated 
Japanese  hostelry  with  a  European  department. 
This  consisted  of  eight  rooms,  furnished  com- 
fortably in  European  style,  even  with  grates, 
but  we  had  the  novelty  of  Japanese  environ- 
ment as  we  walked  down  the  corridors  and 
passed  little  Japanese  rooms  with  sliding  screens 
and  open  windows.  In  the  morning,  we  walked 
up  the  hill  and  had  a  magnificent  view;  we 
left  early  in  jinrikishas  for  a  long  day's  pro- 
gramme. First  we  went  through  the  town,  the 
shops  forming  part  of  a  long  street,  with  open 
fronts  and  interiors.  We  then  crossed  a  bridge 
to  a  suburb  which  contained  the  celebrated 
Temple  of  Ise.  We  proceeded  up  a  long  avenue, 
containing  torii  No.  1,  torii  No.  2,  and  torii 
No.  3,  entering  what  is  called  the  inner 
Temple  of  Ise,  which,  like  all  Shinto  places  of 
worship,  is  very  plain  on  the  exterior.     We  were 


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THE   TEMPLE   OF  ISE  249 

not  permitted  to  enter,  but  were  obliged  to  look 
through  an  open  enclosure.  Our  Japanese 
guide  knelt  down,  bowed,  and  clapped  his 
hands  three  times,  which  is  the  act  of  devotion 
of  all  Shintoites  on  their  approaching  any 
temple.  In  the  rear  there  was  another  temple 
which  we  saw  only  from  the  outside;  the  guide 
told  us  that  at  this  shrine  Marquis  Ito  came  to 
offer  thanks  for  the  success  of  the  Chinese- 
Japanese  war  in  1894,  and  that  Admiral  Togo 
also  came  at  the  close  of  the  Russian-Japanese 
war.  It  is  estimated  that  at  least  half  a  million 
pilgrims  repair  annually  to  the  Temple  of  Ise, 
but  the  educated  class  seldom  visits  the  place,  — 
perhaps  not  more  than  once  in  a  lifetime. 

We  then  drove  eight  miles  to  Futami,  a  sea- 
side resort  with  a  pretty  Japanese  tea-house 
fronting  the  water.  Here  is  a  peculiar  forma- 
tion of  rock  called  '*The  Husband  and  Wife 
Rocks,"  connected  by  a  chain.  The  bazar  is 
quite  interesting,  and  we  had  our  luncheon  at 
the  tea-house,  served  in  Japanese  style,  which 
means  that  we  would  have  had  nothing  but  tea 
if  our  thoughtful  guide  had  not  brought  a  basket 
with  us.  The  return  trip  of  eight  miles  was 
over  a  little  different  route,  more  picturesque 
even  than  the  first.  Arriving  at  Yamada,  we 
went  to  the  outer  Temple  of  Ise.  Here,  as  in 
the  inner  temple,  there  is  a  large  house  for 
sacred  dances. 


250    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

Many  tea-houses  in  Yamada  furnish  music 
during  the  evening.  We  visited  a  very  artistic 
place,  said  to  be  five  hundred  years  old,  and 
there  we  saw  one  of  the  sacred  dances  peculiar 
to  that  province. 

Nagoya,  April  ^5th:  We  left  in  the  morn- 
ing for  Nagoya,  and  were  guests  at  the  Nagoya 
Hotel.  This  is  a  flourishing,  commercial  city, 
with  one  of  the  longest  and  widest  streets  we 
had  seen  in  Japan.  The  garrison  occupies  the 
castle,  whose  approach  is  the  same  as  in  the 
olden  time  —  through  gates  and  past  moats. 
This  castle  was  erected  in  1610  l:)y  twenty  great 
feudal  lords  to  serve  as  a  residence  for  leyasu's 
son.  Like  other  Japanese  castles,  it  is  a  wooden 
building,  standing  on  immense  walls  which  are 
eighteen  feet  thick.  The  castle  has  been  taken 
by  the  Imperial  household  and  is  preserved  as 
a  monument  of  historical  interest.  The  two 
golden  dolphins  with  silver  eyes  which  can  be 
seen  glittering  all  over  the  city  from  the  top  of 
the  five- story  donjon  were  made  in  1610  at  the 
expense  of  the  celebrated  general,  Kato  Kiyo- 
mosa,  who  also  built  the  donjon,  or  keep. 

The  apartments  of  the  castle  are  very  beauti- 
ful. The  sliding  screens  between  the  rooms  and 
the  wooden  doors  separating  the  different  suites 
are  all  adorned  with  paintings  of  flowers  and 
birds.     Leaving  these  apartments,  we  visited  the 


ft 


NAGOYA'S  ATTRACTIONS        251 

historic  donjon,  a  gloomy  building  of  stone 
on  the  exterior,  but  furnished  with  wooden 
staircases  within.  The  fifth  story  commands  an 
extensive  view  of  the  town,  the  sea,  and  the 
vast  plain,  —  rice-fields  and  mountains  stretch- 
ing in  the  distance.  The  roofs  of  the  keep  are 
of  copper,  and  its  massive  gates  are  cased  in 
iron. 

Nagoya  is  noted  for  its  manufacture  of  por- 
celain and  cloisonne.  There  is  one  celebrated 
Buddhist  temple,  Higashi  Hongwanji,  and  the 
Museum.  There  are  also  extensive  parks  and 
parade  grounds.  In  the  evening  of  our  stay 
there,  the  unexpected  occurred.  We  had  known 
for  some  time  of  the  approaching  Imperial 
Cherry  Blossom  Garden  Party  at  Tokio.  A 
telegram  arrived,  stating  that  our  invitations 
awaited  us  in  Yokohama;  we  were  most  for- 
tunate, since  they  were  in  great  demand.  A 
hurried  consultation  followed,  but  as  the  re- 
mainder of  the  party  expected  to  sail  for  San 
Francisco  on  May  13th,  they  declined  to  change 
their  programme,  while  I  accepted  the  invitation, 
having  two  weeks'  more  time  in  Japan  during 
June ;  I  regretfully  bade  adieu  to  the  party,  and 
the  following  morning  proceeded  to  Yokohama. 

Yokohama,  April  26th :  The  next  two  weeks 
I  was  to  be  thrown  upon  my  own  responsibility. 
I  arrived  at  Yokohama  in  the  evening  and  an- 


252    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

ticipated  a  departure  the  following  morning  for 
Tokio.  A  pouring  rain,  however,  caused  an 
unexpected  postponement.  There  were  many 
disappointed  guests  in  the  Tokio  hotels  which 
were  crowded  in  view  of  the  great  annual  event. 
This  is  said  to  be  very  beautiful  in  all  its  appoint- 
ments, the  profusion  of  cherry  blossoms  being  an 
attraction,  as  is  the  presence  of  the  Emperor 
and  Empress.  The  rain  abating  at  noon,  the 
grounds  of  the  Crown  Prince's  palace  were 
opened  and  the  persons  who  were  in  Tokio 
availed  themselves  of  the  privilege  of  visiting 
them.  A  fine  collation  was  served.  The 
Emperor  and  Empress,  however,  did  not  ap- 
pear, and  the  usual  extremely  formal  ceremonies 
were  dispensed  with.  It  is  the  custom  to  give 
the  inmates  of  the  hospitals  in  Tokio  a  rare 
feast  from  what  is  left  of  the  banquet.  I  had  a 
busy  day  in  Yokohama,  which  I  found  an  at- 
tractive modern  city,  with  beautiful  shops,  pleas- 
ant hotels,  and  a  great  crowd  of  visitors.  I  left 
early  the  following  morning,  April  28th,  for 
Nikko. 

Nikko,  April  2Sth:  The  sky  was  overcast 
when  we  started,  and  before  noon  there  was  a 
heavy  rain  which  prevented  any  enjoyment  of 
the  really  fine  landscape.  The  Japanese  proverb 
in  substance  runs:  ''Do  not  use  the  word  '  mag- 
nificent '  until  you  have  seen  Nikko."    This  had 


AVENUE  OF  CRYPTOMERIAS      253 

been  ringing  in  my  ears  all  the  way,  and  to  be 
compelled  to  proceed  through  the  long  street  of 
the  village  in  a  closed  jinrikisha  was  tantalizing. 
The  Nikko  Hotel  was  to  have  been  my  destina- 
tion, but  I  met  friends  on  the  train  and  was 
persuaded  to  accompany  them  to  the  new 
Kanaya  Hotel,  situated  nearer  the  village  on  a 
height.  My  programme  in  Nikko  could  only  in- 
clude three  days;  hence  I  decided  that  a  study 
of  the  various  temples,  a  general  view  of  the 
city,  and  an  excursion  to  Lake  Chuzenji  must 
suffice. 

The  following  morning  the  sun  was  shining, 
and  I  departed  early  to  visit  the  temples.  The 
way  lay  down  to  the  river  Daiya-gawa.  From 
the  bridge  in  actual  use  and  at  a  short  distance 
I  beheld  the  "Red  Bridge,"  formerly  lacquered 
and  having  brass  ornaments,  sacred  to  royal  use 
only,  and  held  in  veneration  by  the  Japanese. 
A  long  avenue  of  cryptomerias  followed.  This 
tree  is  like  the  redwood  of  California  when  used 
in  the  interior  of  a  building;  indeed,  after  a 
long  period  of  time,  the  coloring  is  precisely  the 
same.  This  I  noticed  in  the  Imperial  palaces  at 
Kyoto. 

I  walked  up  the  avenue  with  a  feeling  of 
awe,  and  it  seemed  as  if  the  whole  atmosphere 
of  Nikko  was  surcharged  with  an  element  of 
sanctity,  and  that  no  one  could  gaze  on  the 
mountains  and  the  groves  of  cryptomerias  with- 


254    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

out  being  somewhat  better  than  before.  At  the 
end  of  the  avenue  the  perspective  is  wonderful, 
for  one  looks  through  a  series  of  great  stone 
toriis,  gray  with  age,  and  sees  along  the  way 
objects  that  are  of  interest,  a  five-story  pagoda 
being  the  most  striking.  This  approach  is  to 
the  great  Temple  of  leyasu,  the  illustrious 
Shogun  and  founder  of  the  Tokugawa  dy- 
nasty and,  like  the  other  great  temple  and 
mausoleum  of  his  grandson,  lemitzu  (farther 
on) ,  was  erected  in  the  seventeenth  century,  at  a 
time  when  the  art  of  building  shrines  was  at  its 
perfection,  as  was  the  work  in  lacquer  and 
bronze,  wood  carving  and  decorative  painting. 
Every  detail  is  perfect,  and  the  great  predomi- 
nance of  red  and  gold  lacquer  with  its  setting  of 
green  produced  a  striking  effect,  but  without 
being  in  the  least  garish.  Indeed,  the  key-note 
to  all  the  buildings  and  interiors  we  have  seen  in 
Japan,  of  any  age  whatsoever,  has  been  chaste- 
ness  of  design  and  harmony.  If  we  sometimes 
find  a  discordant  note  in  modern  Japanese  art, 
I  fear  Western  taste  has  had  some  influence,  if 
it  be  true  that  the  producer  ever  seeks  to  please 
the  purchaser. 

With  all  this  perfection  on  every  side,  it  be- 
comes even  more  difficult  to  give  any  adequate 
description,  so  that  an  outline  comprising  only 
general  details  will  be  suggested.  A  quotation 
explains  my  position  fully.      Dr.   Dresser  once 


I- 


lEYASU   TEMPLE  255 

wrote:  "Any  words  that  I  can  use  must  fail  to 
convey  any  adequate  idea  of  the  consciousness 
of  the  work,  the  loveHness  of  the  compositions, 
the  harmoniousness  of  the  colors,  and  the 
beauty  of  the  surroundings  here  before  me;  and 
yet  the  adjectives  which  I  have  tried  to  heap  one 
upon  another,  in  the  hope  of  conveying  to  the 
reader  what  I  —  an  architect  and  ornamentist  — 
feel  when  contemplating  these  matchless  shrines, 
must  appear,  I  am  afraid,  altogether  unreason- 
able." The  difficulty  is  further  added  to  by  the 
fact  that  there  are  in  all  six  groups  of  temples 
with  numerous  associated  buildings  and  gate- 
ways in  the  near  vicinity,  although  leyasu  and 
lemitzu  are  the  most  famous. 

The  approach  to  leyasu  Temple  is  most  un- 
usual. Within  the  two  courts,  each  with  toriis 
and  stone  steps,  are  many  notable  adjuncts  to 
the  temples,  the  five-story  pagoda,  one  hundred 
and  four  feet  high,  being  a  marvel  of  rich 
lacquered  walls.  It  has  peculiar  brass-trimmed 
roofs  and  bells  hanging  from  every  angle. 
Three  artistic  buildings  are  used  as  store- 
houses, where  articles  employed  in  worship, 
pictures,  and  many  treasures  of  leyasu  are  de- 
posited. Near  by  is  a  finely  carved  gateway  lead- 
ing to  a  beautiful  carved  water  cistern  which  is 
cut  out  of  one  solid  piece  of  granite  and  sheltered 
by  a  roof  supported  on  twelve  square  pillars  of 
stone,  all  erected  in  1618.     A  beautifully  deco- 


^56    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

rated  building  behind  this  is  the  depository  for 
the  complete  collection  of  the  Buddhist  scrip- 
tures, contained  in  a  fine  revolving  octagonal 
bookcase  with  red  lacquered  panels  and  gilt 
pillars.  In  the  centre  of  this  court  stands  a  fine 
bronze  torii.  A  flight  of  steps  gives  access  to 
the  second  court.  Just  inside  of  this  are  two 
stone  lions  in  the  act  of  leaping  down;  on  the 
right  stand  a  bell  tower,  a  bronze  candelabrum 
presented  by  the  King  of  Loochoo,  and  another 
bell  presented  by  the  King  of  Korea;  there  is 
also  a  bronze  candelabrum  from  Holland.  This 
diversity  of  gifts  indicates  the  general  interest  at 
that  time  in  this  shrine.  All  of  these  articles  are 
of  very  unusual  style  of  workmanship. 

At  the  left  extremity  of  this  s^me  platform 
stands  the  Temple  of  Wakushi,  dedicated  to  the 
patron  saint  of  leyasu,  for  which  reason  its 
Buddhist  emblems  have  been  left  intact.  The 
building  is  a  blaze  of  gold  and  harmonious 
colors.  Stone  steps  lead  up  to  tjie  exquisitely 
beautiful  gate  called  Yomei-mon ;  it  has  a  fence 
on  each  side.  Passing  through  the  gateway,  we 
entered  the  third  court,  in  which  the  Buddhist 
priests  used  to  offer  liturgies  on  the  occasions  of 
the  two  great  annual  festivals.  In  this  court  are 
also  two  buildings,  one  containing  a  stage  for 
the  performance  of  the  sacred  dance,  and  the 
other  an  altar  for  burning  the  fragrant  cedar 
while  prayers  were  recited.     Next  we  have  the 


J  Jive-Story  pagoda 


34 


lEYASU'S  TOMB  257 

Karu-mon  or  Chinese  gate.  It  gives  admittance 
to  the  main  shrines.  The  folding  doors  of  the 
oratory  are  lavishly  decorated  with  arabesques 
of  peonies  in  gilt  relief. 

The  chapel  is  a  large  matted  room,  forty-two 
feet  long  by  twenty-seven  feet  deep,  with  an 
antechamber  at  each  end.  The  chapel  and  the 
antechambers  are  all  very  profusely  decorated 
with  pictures  on  the  walls,  with  carved  panels  and 
painted  ceilings.  The  Holy  of  Holies  of  this 
temple  is  accessible  to  the  public  only  by  special 
permit.  It  is  composed  of  three  chambers,  and 
here  Japanese  Buddhist  art  is  exhibited  in  its 
perfection,  —  a  blaze  of  gold  and  color,  with 
its  elaborate  paintings  of  court  personages,  its 
precious  woods,  inlaid  and  carved,  and  its 
richly  lacquered  pillars  and  splendid  metal 
work  —  the  whole  a  marvel  of  detail,  all  the 
more  marvellous  because  it  is  in  perfect 
preservation.  Now  that  it  has  been  changed 
into  a  Shinto  shrine  and  is  under  the  patron- 
age of  the  Government,  the  Buddhas  and  at- 
tendant Buddhas  of  the  olden  time  are  no  longer 
to  be  seen. 

An  old  mossy  staircase  and  a  time-worn 
pavement  lead  to  leyasu's  tomb,  before  which 
stand  two  long  tables.  Here  are  placed  the 
usual  bronze  ornaments,  consisting  of  a  stork, 
an  incense  burner,  and  a  vase  of  bronze  lotus 
flowers.    The  tomb,  shaped  like  a  small  pagoda. 


258    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR   EAST 

has  a  single  bronze  casting  of  a  light  color,  pro- 
duced, it  is  said,  by  a  mixture  of  gold.  liCaving 
the  mausoleum,  1  jrassed  down  through  the 
courts  and  gateways  until  I  came  to  the  avenue 
of  cryptomerias,  visiting  a  number  of  temples 
on  the  way,  and  finally  I  reached  lemitzu's 
temple.  A  massive  stone  staircase  and  a  fine 
gateway  are  among  the  many  details  of  an  at- 
tractive exterior  that  claim  attention.  The 
temple  is  much  less  magnificent  than  leyasu's, 
but  a  more  perfect  representation  of  the  Bud- 
dhist art,  inasmuch  as  here  can  be  seen  the  in- 
terior as  it  was  originally.  After  the  restoration 
in  1886,  the  interiors  of  all  the  other  temples 
were  changed  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the 
Shinto  faith,  that  being  the  State  religion. 
The  tomb  is  reached  by  a  flight  of  steps  run- 
ning up  the  side  of  the  wall.  It  is  of  the 
same  general  style  as  that  of  leyasu.  In  the 
afternoon  a  walk  back  of  the  temple  of  le- 
yasu revealed  more  stone  lanterns,  shrines,  and 
toriis. 

At  Nikko  the  homes  are  attractive,  with  their 
open  space  and  their  verandas.  The  Park  and 
Botanical  Garden  are  also  not  without  interest. 
Sometimes  a  shrine  could  be  seen,  and  witli  the 
inmates  dressed  in  pretty  kimonos,  it  was  truly 
a  fascinating  picture,  unlike  anything  that  had 
elsewhere  struck  our  fancy.  The  invariable 
smile,  bow,  and  courtesy  that  always  greet  you 


^3 


RIDE   TO   LAKE   CHUZENJI       259 

place  a  finishing  and  charming  touch  to  the 
whole. 

The  bazar  or  long  street  of  shops  was  enticing, 
with  so  many  souvenirs  to  choose  from.  The 
thoroughfare  itself  presented  a  never-ending 
panorama  of  carts,  packhorses,  natives,  pilgrims, 
and  tourists. 

There  were  several  tempting  excursions  of 
two  or  three  miles  each,  the  most  celebrated  of 
which  was  to  Lake  Chuzenji,  eight  miles  dis- 
tant. This  required  an  early  morning  departure 
in  a  jinrikisha.  The  ride  there  was  through  a 
region  which  affords  a  fine  example  of  the 
Japanese  method  of  cultivating  the  soil.  The 
little  homes  were  attractive.  Potatoes,  rice,  and 
millet  seemed  to  be  the  principal  crops.  Chu- 
zenji Lake  is  a  marvel  of  beauty,  with  its  many 
walks  along  the  shore.  Luncheon  was  served  at 
the  hotel.  It  is  estimated  that  ten  thousand  pil- 
grims come  to  the  village  during  July  and  August 
to  make  the  ascent  to  the  sacred  mountain,  Nan- 
taisan,  two  thousand  feet  above  the  sea-level. 
This  is  not  so  very  difficult,  since  at  points  there 
are  stairways  that  give  ready  access.  Shrines 
and  tea-houses  are  stationed  all  along  the  road, 
as  the  Japanese  never  neglect  creature  com- 
forts. Eight  miles  further  on  is  situated  Yunoto 
village  and  the  lake  which  bears  the  same  name 
and  is  celebrated  for  its  hot  springs.  This  place 
is  said  to  be  as  attractive  as  Lake  Chuzenji. 


260    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

We  left  Nikko  on  an  early  morning  train  with  a 
strong  desire  some  day  to  return  and  make  a 
more  protracted  stay. 

ToKio,  April  SOth:  Leaving  Nikko,  with  an 
altitude  of  two  thousand  feet  higher  than  the 
sea,  for  Tokio,  one  hundred  miles  distant  and 
at  sea-level,  was  a  decided  drop.  The  day  was 
bright  and  the  views  from  the  car  window  gave 
one  an  ever-varying  panorama,  consisting  of 
mountains,  a  long  avenue  of  tall  cryptomerias 
that  seemed  to  extend  for  miles,  cultivated 
fields,  and  luxuriant  vegetation  freshened  by  the 
recent  rain.  Nature  put  forth  her  loveliest 
Spring  tints,  to  which  cherry  blossoms  ever  and 
anon  gave  a  touch  of  color.  Arriving  at  Tokio 
in  the  afternoon,  and  going  to  the  Imperial 
Hotel,  I  had  a  two  days'  reunion  with  eight  of 
the  ''party  "  who  had  already  arrived  there. 
We  took  a  general  drive  on  the  first  afternoon, 
past  the  palace  built  on  the  ruins  of  the  old 
Shogun  palace,  in  its  new  guise  a  long  rambling 
building  of  yellow  brick.  The  old  gateways 
with  their  towers  were  at  the  front  entrance  and 
were  a  feature  of  the  scene.  The  arrangement 
of  the  rooms  in  the  interior  of  the  palace  was 
said  to  be  pleasing,  the  dining-room  being  un- 
usually large.  The  walls  and  decorations  are 
also  fine,  but  the  furnishings,  a  mixture  of 
Japanese  and  European  styles,  are  not  so  har- 


SHIBA  PARK  261 

monious.  We  also  passed  the  Crown  Prince's 
palace,  and  then  went  on  from  Hibiya  Park  to 
the  street  on  which  are  situated  the  brick  build- 
ings of  the  Naval  Department,  the  Judicial  De- 
partment, and  the  Courts  of  Justice. 

We  saw  the  Russian  Embassy,  the  Chinese 
Legation,  and  also  some  palaces  and  residences 
of  many  officers  and  foreign  embassies.  This 
neighborhood,  called  Nagata-cha,  is  the  most 
fashionable  in  Tokio.  Near  the  palace  lies  a 
garden  planted  with  azaleas,  and  also  contain- 
ing some  trellises  wholly  covered  in  season  with 
wistaria.  We  also  passed  a  fine  Shinto  temple 
and  several  statues,  and,  on  an  eminence,  saw  the 
Russian  Cathedral,  consecrated  in  1891. 

The  following  morning  w^e  went  to  Shiba  Park. 
Until  1887  this  formed  the  grounds  of  a  great 
Buddhist  temple,  and  here  are  still  preserved  the 
mortuary  temples  of  several  Tokugawa  Sho- 
guns,  leyasu,  the  founder  of  that  dynasty,  having 
chosen  it  as  the  temple  where  the  funeral 
tablets  of  himself  and  of  his  descendants  should 
be  enshrined.  There  are  several  temples  in  the 
park,  and  they  rank  among  the  chief  marvels  of 
Japanese  art.  They  are  somewhat  after  the  style 
of  the  temples  at  Nikko.  All  of  them  have  a 
wonderful  setting  of  green,  the  many  fine  trees 
and  the  beautiful  park  forming  an  excellent 
background.  Each  of  these  mortuary  temples 
consists  of  three  parts,   an  outer  oratory,  a  con- 


262    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

necting  gallery,  and  an  inner  sanctuary.  In 
each  of  these  the  decorations  are  of  gilt  and 
different  colors,  with  elaborate  patterns  which 
are  almost  dazzling  to  the  eye. 

On  one  occasion  we  visited  Ueno  Park, 
famed  for  its  temples  and  tombs  of  the  Shoguns ; 
it  is  a  most  popular  resort  in  Tokio,  and  is  cele- 
brated for  its  display  of  cherry  blossoms  in  the 
month  of  April,  during  which  season  there  are 
held  gala  times.  Six  Shoguns,  members  of  the 
Tokugawa  family,  lie  buried  at  Ueno.  In  gen- 
eral style  the  tombs  here  resemble  those  at 
Shiba  Park. 

There  are  many  objects  of  interest  in  Ueno 
Park  other  than  its  temples.  One  is  the  bronze 
image  of  Buddha,  twenty-one  and  a  half  feet 
high,  known  as  Dai-butsu,  near  which  is  a  mas- 
sive torii.  We  passed  along  an  avenue  of  stately 
cryptomerias  where  stands  an  ancient  pagoda. 
There  is  also  a  long  row  of  very  large  stone 
lanterns,  presented  as  a  tribute  to  the  memory 
of  the  Shogun,  leyasu.  While  in  Ueno  Park 
the  attendant  pointed  out,  in  a  small  enclosure, 
two  diminutive  trees,  —  a  hinoki,  planted  by 
General  Grant,  and  a  magnolia  by  Mrs.  Grant 
during  their  visit  to  Tokio. 

The  Ueno  Museum  })roved  interesting,  par- 
ticularly in  the  historical  and  archaeological  de- 
partments. Near  the  Museum  is  a  public 
library   and    reading-room  —  the  largest  in  the 


't7^ 


~^ 


UENO  PARK  263 

Empire.  In  the  distance  we  saw  the  Imperial 
University,  which  has  a  very  high  reputation, 
even  foreign  students  attending  there  for  the 
purpose  of  studying  art. 

Asakusa:  The  district  of  Asakusa  possesses 
a  fine  park,  and  here  also  is  the  spacious 
Temple  of  Higashi  Hongwanji,  the  chief  re- 
ligious edifice  of  the  Monto  sect  of  Buddhists. 
It  is  very  plain  in  its  architecture,  but  is  noted 
principally  for  its  proportions.  The  area  of 
the  m^atted  floor  of  the  nave  alone  is  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  mats,  and  around  the  front  and 
sides  is  a  wooden  aisle  one  hundred  and  twelve 
feet  wide. 

Tokio  has  many  other  temples  and  parks, 
but  of  these,  as  I  have  said,  Ueno  is  the  most 
popular;  around  us  were  crowds  of  gayly 
dressed  grown  people  and  children,  all  in  holi- 
day attire ;  various  games  for  adults  and  children 
were  in  progress,  and  there  was  a  tea-house 
where  refreshments  were  being  served.  To  me 
this  appeared  in  very  truth  a  park  for  the 
people. 

The  Botanical  Garden  is  also  quite  interest- 
ing. A  long,  inlposing  street  led  down  to  it 
from  Ueno  Park,  and  on  this  were  situated  the 
principal  shops  of  the  city,  with  curio  nooks  in 
abundance.  These,  of  course,  were  larger  and 
more    pretentious    than    the    bazars    spoken    of 


264    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

elsewhere,  some  of  them  being  three  stories  in 
height,  the  first  of  the  kind  we  had  seen  in  Japan. 
Taken  as  a  whole,  Tokio  is  a  large,  populous 
city,  with  a  bright  future  before  it.  I  now  was 
obliged  to  turn  my  face  toward  Yokohama,  it 
being  a  comparatively  short  distance  from 
Tokio.  Here  I  found  a  number  of  friends 
whom  I  had  met  at  different  points  and  who 
were  about  to  leave  for  San  Francisco,  —  my 
own  departure  for  North  China  to  occur  the 
following  morning. 

To  visit  North  China,  I  was  compelled  to 
return  to  Shanghai  in  order  to  join  the  Coll- 
ver  Tours  party  I  had  met  at  Kyoto.  I  left 
Yokohama  on  March  3d  by  rail  for  Kobe, 
arriving  at  the  Oriental  Hotel  about  9  p.  m. 
The  route  by  day  was  very  pleasant,  as  we  saw 
much  fine  scenery,  and  for  some  time  Mt. 
Fujiyama  rose  before  us  in  the  distance.  At 
Kobe  I  found  that  the  steamer,  Mongolia, 
would  be  delayed,  and  therefore  I  would  need 
to  remain  there  until  the  second  day.  The 
following  morning,  I  took  a  jinrikisha  ride  to 
the  country  and  revisited  several  points  of 
interest. 

June  6th:  I  was  awakened  at  seven  on  the 
morning  of  June  6th  by  the  voice  of  the  guide 
saying,  **We  are  now  in  the  narrowest  part 
of    the    Inland    Sea."      I    arose   quickly,    and, 


o 


35 


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i 

*^«  S; 

V^S^P^s 

^^ 

1 

''^j:^ 

t^^ 

*<  i^^i 

*  -  .1 

ill  •.::^:, 

'J 

m 

^■^^■•:^^^^^.  :  :„ 

ii           irii 

THE   INLAND   SEA  265 

glancing  out  of  the  port-hole,  beheld  a  scene 
of  loveliness  which  caused  a  spontaneous  ex- 
clamation, ''Oh,  how  beautiful!"  Before  me 
on  the  left  was  an  island  clad  in  verdure;  be- 
hind, the  towering  mountains;  then  farther  off, 
a  lesser  peak,  sloping  down  to  the  sea ;  a  prom- 
ontory jutted  out  at  the  right,  ribbed  with  ter- 
races from  which  peeped  forth  tiny  shoots  of 
delicate  green.  Scarcely  had  I  time  to  catch 
a  glimpse  before  the  panorama  changed.  This 
scene  was  repeated  with  slight  variations  until 
suddenly  there  appeared  a  break,  and  in  a  cove 
were  moored  many  little  boats ;  next  came  a 
tall  mountain  sloping  down  to  the  sea,  with  a 
wealth  of  foliage  along  the  side,  while  on  the 
top  was  a  fringe  of  tall  trees,  like  so  many  hills 
seen  in  Japan.  I  had  cause  to  wonder  if  this 
too  was  not  one  of  the  many  expressions  of 
Nature's  artistic  sense. 

One  scene  succeeded  another,  and  I  became 
almost  oblivious  to  all  thought  of  dressing  until 
the  gong  rang  for  breakfast.  I  felt  rebellious, 
and,  on  that  morning  at  least,  the  meal  seemed 
a  desecration,  the  sacrifice  of  an  opportunity. 
Once  before,  I  had  a  similar  early  morning 
experience;  that  was  at  Laggan,  on  the  Cana- 
dian Pacific  Railway,  when,  on  awakening,  I 
beheld  directly  opposite  my  window  lovely 
Lake  Louise  and  the  beautiful  glacier  mir- 
rored within  the  opalescent  blue.     This  day  in 


266    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

China  ended  with  a  glorious  sunset,  and,  as  the 
gold  and  azure  melted  away  into  nothingness,  it 
was  a  fitful  close  to  hours  of  rare  enjoyment. 

On  the  morning  following,  I  was  again 
awakened,  this  time  by  the  magic  word  Naga- 
saki, and  I  beheld  another  never-to-be-forgotten 
scene.  The  harbor  and  shipping  lay  in  the  fore- 
ground; beyond  the  shore  line  rose  large  build- 
ings, smaller  ones  creeping  up  the  mountain 
side;  this  whole  panorama  was  bathed  in  sun- 
light. Immediately  on  landing  a  jinrikisha  ride 
was  enjoyed,  and  I  was  propelled  about  in  an 
aimless  fashion,  enjoying  the  street  scenes, 
visiting  the  heights,  and  the  Horse's  Temple. 
It  was  a  restless,  irresponsible  kind  of  day 
that  I  enjoyed,  and  I  returned  to  the  steamer 
at  five  o'clock  with  considerable  regret.  Half 
an  hour  later  we  were  sailing  away  for  Shang- 
hai; and  again  we  saw  islands,  promontories, 
and  inlets  quite  like  those  of  the  day  previous. 

On  Saturday  morning,  the  9th,  we  were  an- 
chored at  Wusong,  waiting  for  the  arrival  of 
the  health  officer.  Thereafter  we  took  a  ride 
of  an  hour  in  the  steam  launch.  Shanghai 
seemed  more  European  on  our  second  arrival, 
and  the  Bund  on  the  front  more  attractive.  We 
made  the  Palace  Hotel  our  destination,  and 
learned  with  regret  of  the  non-arrival  of  the 
Trans-Siberian  party  from  Manila.  Some 
steamer  friends  and   other  acquaintances  were 


THE   YANGTSE   RIVER  267 

at  Shanghai,  and  the  time  passed  pleasantly 
amongst  them. 

I  attended  divine  service  at  St.  John's  Cathe- 
dral on  Sunday  morning,  and  in  the  evening  the 
delayed  party  arrived;  I  was  so  fortunate  as  to 
have  two  home  friends  among  the  number. 

Monday  began  by  a  general  tour  of  sight- 
seeing for  the  party;  to  a  certain  extent  I  thus 
went  over  the  ground  again,  taking  jinrikisha 
rides  through  a  portion  of  the  European  native 
city,  and  visiting  the  entire  French  concession. 
French  names  were  on  the  business  houses  and 
on  many  of  the  streets.  This  concession  is 
governed  by  a  municipality  of  its  own. 

Four  restful  days  were  passed  at  Shanghai, 
and  at  ten  on  the  evening  of  May  12th,  we 
went  to  our  steamer,  the  Tuck-Wo,  for  a  trip  on 
the  celebrated  Yangtse  River.  The  steamer  was 
large  and  airy,  with  pleasant  decks;  everything 
wore  a  thoroughly  homelike  air.  The  scenery 
on  the  lower  Yangtse  is  rather  flat  and  disap- 
pointing, but  in  the  morning  there  were  some 
vegetation  and  many  agreeable  glimpses  of  life, 
with  vistas  of  modest  homes  and  little  patches 
of  cultivated  ground  around  them.  The  shores 
were  covered  with  tall  vegetation  which,  we 
were  told,  grows  quite  tall  and  is  then  cut, 
dried,  and  used  as  fuel  by  the  natives.  At  first, 
during  our  trip,  there  had  been  only  a  low  fringe 
of  trees  in  the  distant  background;   now  moun- 


268    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

tains  appeared  as  a  striking  variation,  and  thus 
we  had  alternating  scenes  which  added  to  the 
spatial  interest  from  this  time  on.  There  were 
occasional  picturesque  points  and  promonto- 
ries that  jutted  out  into  the  sea;  clustering 
around,  were  many  large  and  smaller  craft; 
once  I  counted  thirty-six  in  one  place. 

The  steamer  anchored  at  Chang-wang-kong 
on  the  second  evening,  and  we  were  permitted 
to  go  ashore  for  two  hours.  We  had  noticed  a 
brilliantly  lighted  building,  four  stories  high, 
every  window  gleaming  and  presenting  an  im- 
posing appearance ;  we  naturally  expected  some 
artistic  effect  in  the  interior,  but,  when  we  came 
to  visit  it,  the  illusion  vanished,  as  the  first  and 
second  stories  were  cut  up  into  small  rooms, 
each  filled  with  Chinese  folk  intent  upon  secur- 
ing their  evening  meal ;  adjacent  rooms  were 
devoted  to  the  culinary  operations.  Dirt  and 
confusion  and  odors  permeated  everywhere,  and 
we  declined  to  ascend  to  the  upper  story,  where 
the  Chinese  game  of  fan-tan  was  in  progress. 
Certain  homelike  English  buildings  clung  near 
the  water  front,  and  we  walked  through  the 
usual  crowded  Chinese  streets.  The  town  was 
laid  out  in  one  long  thoroughfare,  overlooking 
the  water  and  sloping  backward  to  the  lesser 
mountains.  We  returned,  content  with  the 
good  cheer  aboard  our  steamer,  and  were  soon 
sailing  on. 


^ 
o 


e 


WU-HO  269 

We  passed  Nanking,  formerly  the  southern 
capital  of  China  and  once  a  place  of  great  im- 
portance —  indeed,  a  seat  of  learning  and  of 
art.  Only  the  distant  walls  could  be  seen.  A 
little  north  of  Nanking  are  located  two  of  the 
Ming  tombs. 

The  following  morning,  at  eleven,  we  were 
again  permitted  to  land,  this  time  at  Wu-ho, 
quite  a  large  town  and  evidently  the  centre  for 
several  industries.  After  wandering  through 
a  few  native  streets,  we  took  jinrikishas  and 
visited  the  heights  above.  Here  was  situated 
a  fine  garden  i&lled  with  rose  trees  all  in  bloom, 
the  property  of  the  son  of  the  noted  statesman, 
Li  Hung  Chang.  This  was  said  to  be  one  of 
his  many  palaces ;  at  present  he  is  Minister  to 
England.  The  afternoon  afforded  us  a  variety 
of  points  of  interest  to  seek  out;  long  low 
islands,  boldly  defined  mountains,  an  occasional 
village,  and  coves  filled  with  shipping  of  all 
kinds,  from  the  sampan  to  the  five-sail  junk. 
The  shores  were  clothed  with  the  wonderful 
green  of  Spring,  which,  to  my  mind,  was  ex- 
celled only  by  the  matchless  verdure  of  Java. 

On  the  morning  of  May  15th  we  met  with 
constant  surprises;  first,  there  was  the  boldly 
defined  little  Orphan  Rock,  the  seat  of  a  Bud- 
dhist monastery  which  contained,  however,  only 
a  small  retinue  of  monks.  Two  hours  later,  on 
the   left   side   of  the  Yangtse  River,   there  ap- 


270    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

peared  for  the  first  time  a  long  avenue  of  trees 
near  the  water's  edge,  while  beyond  it  was  a 
range  of  mountains  higher  than  we  had  seen. 
Nestling  between  two  mountains  which  seemed 
to  hug  the  water  was  a  village  with  a  remark- 
able wall  stretching  from  one  peak  to  the  other, 
and  curving  down,  thus  encircling  the  town; 
this  wall  had  a  crenellated  edge  and  was  per- 
fectly preserved. 

The  mountain  range  continued  for  some  time, 
and  then  was  succeeded  by  the  more  prevailing 
flat  shore,  which  soon  merged  again  into  moun- 
tains. Perched  high  up  on  a  projecting  hill, 
another  monastery  gleamed  white  through  the 
encircling  trees.  We  sailed  onward  toward  the 
right,  and  the  Captain  pointed  out  on  our  left 
the  entrance  to  Lake  Poyang,  which  shone  in 
the  distance,  and  rising  boldly  out  of  which 
could  be  dimly  seen  the  greater  Orphan  Island, 
where  towered  a  large  pagoda  said  to  be  two 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  high.  From  now  on,  the 
scenery  changed  rapidly,  and  first  one  side  of 
the  shore  and  then  the  other  side  claimed  our 
attention  and  admiration;  the  river  being  very 
wide,  and  the  steamer  also  constantly  changing 
its  course,  we  were  thus  given  a  fine  opportunity 
for  observation. 

Our  next  excitement  occurred  when  we  ap- 
proached Kia-kiang.  We  first  saw  a  high  rocky 
promontory  on  which  a  tall  seven-story  pagoda 


KIA-KIANG  271 

stood,  like  a  veritable  sentinel ;  rounding  the 
point,  a  long  shore  line  was  protected  by  a  sea- 
wall which  stretched  to  the  extreme  point  of 
land  where  Kia-kiang  is  situated.  Near  the 
pagoda  were  homes  and  native  buildings,  then 
some  business  houses;  farther  back  from  the 
shore  rose  another  towering  pagoda,  and  far- 
ther still  another,  while  a  tiny  temple  was 
perched  on  an  eminence.  Embowered  in  trees, 
we  also  found  the  white  homes  of  foreign  resi- 
dents, presumably  English.  There  was  a  great 
deal  of  shipping  in  port  which  gave  evidence  of 
the  city's  being  a  business  centre.  Three  hours' 
time  was  given  us  on  land,  but  few  availed 
themselves  of  the  privilege  because  of  a  heavy 
rain.  On  leaving  Kia-kiang  a  low  shore  was 
seen,  then  a  long  island,  covered  with  homes  of 
a  simple  kind,  with  their  little  gardens;  every 
inch  of  ground  was  under  cultivation.  The 
shades  of  night  soon  shut  off  our  view,  but  at 
9  A.  M.  we  were  again  anchored  —  this  time  at 
Wu-such.  Only  the  gleaming  lights  in  the  dis- 
tance were  visible.  Two  more  places  were  to 
be  passed  during  the  night,  Wang-tu-kiang  and 
Wen-chou;  and  Hankow  was  to  confront  us  on 
the  morrow. 

The  Yangtse  River  rises  three  thousand  miles 
away,  near  Tibet,  and  covers  the  whole  of  the 
Empire ;  thus  far  we  had  traversed  six  hundred 
miles    of    it.     Despite   what  we   praised,    how- 


272    TRAVELS   IN  THE   FAR  EAST 

ever,  we  could  not  help  longing  to  meet  with 
the  bolder  scenery  which  a  longer  trip  would 
have  revealed  to  us.  A  heavy  rain  prevented 
much  sight-seeing  at  Hankow  on  the  first  day, 
w^hich  was  fortunately  Sunday;  thus  we  re- 
ceived our  initial  impressions  of  the  city  from 
the  steamer,  a  view  which  took  in  a  long  Bund, 
fronting  the  water's  edge,  and  filled  with  fine 
buildings,  evidently  of  a  European  style  of 
architecture ;  we  were  told  that  they  were  the 
different  homes  of  the  English,  French,  and 
German  consulates,  the  French  even  having  a 
special  park  attached  to  theirs.  At  the  extreme 
left  were  large  business  houses  and  a  club. 
Hankow  is  a  great  depository  for  tea,  and,  with 
the  two  adjacent  cities  of  Han-yang  and  Wu- 
chang, it  has  an  immense  population,  reaching 
into  the  millions.  Many  religious  denomina- 
tions are  said  to  be  represented  in  Hankow,  but 
we  saw  no  pretentious  churches.  The  harbor 
or  water-front  has  a  stone  embankment ;  a  large 
amount  of  shipping  is  to  be  seen,  many  of  the 
boats  being  of  peculiar  construction. 

The  following  morning,  we  had  a  few  hours 
in  which  to  view^  the  city  before  taking  the 
train  for  Peking.  We  first  visited  the  native 
quarter.  The  heavy  rain  of  the  previous  day 
caused  a  great  deal  of  mud,  and  as  we  attempted 
to  drive  through  the  narrow  streets  and  bazars, 
the   dirt   floors   of  the   little   homes   and   shops 


36 


PEKING  273 

were  a  sea  of  mud,  while  the  inmates  were  pre- 
paring breakfast  and  attending  to  other  domestic 
avocations  in  perfect  unconcern;  it  was  cer- 
tainly not  an  inspiring  scene,  and  the  worst 
native  quarter  we  had  visited  during  our  stay 
in  China.  We  did  not  extend  our  observation 
very  far,  but  turned  to  the  more  attractive  Bund, 
which  is  about  three  miles  in  extent.  Here  we 
had  a  nearer  view  of  the  consulates,  from  each 
of  which  a  street  led  down  to  the  water's  edge. 
In  the  French  concession  we  noticed  the  same 
naming  of  streets  and  buildings  that  we  had 
seen  in  Shanghai;  this  was  also  true  of  the 
German  and  English  concessions,  thus  making 
of  each  a  little  miniature  city.  There  is  a  fine 
English  club  at  Hankow,  and  a  long  line  of  tea 
factories  called  godowns ;  the  odor  of  tea  was 
distinctly  noticeable  for  three  blocks.  From 
May  to  the  middle  of  July  the  tea  industry  of 
Hankow  is  great,  and  large  numbers  of  dealers 
and  speculators  interested  in  the  business  con- 
gregate there. 

We  took  the  train  at  11  a.  m.  for  Peking,  with 
every  expectation  of  arriving  there  at  4  p.  m. 

-♦- 

Peking,  March  ,lSth :  The  railway  trip  from 
Hankow  to  Peking  is  not  interesting,  for  it  is 
largely  over  a  vast  extent  of  plain  without  foliage 
or  vegetation.  Occasionally  we  passed  small 
towns  with  a  few  planted  trees.    The  latter  part 


274    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

of  the  way  seemed  almost  like  a  desert;  there 
being  little  to  observe,  one  had  time  to  reflect, 
and,  in  some  inscrutable  manner,  the  immensity 
of  China,  its  extreme  age,  its  teeming  popula- 
tion, and  its  unreality,  judged  by  Western  stand- 
ards, began  to  dawn  on  me.  I  had  previously 
failed  to  realize  that  I  was  actually  in  China. 
Having  seen  the  Chinese  at  several  points  be- 
fore reaching  Hong-Kong,  that  city  with  its  Eng- 
lish environment  did  not  impress  me  greatly. 
Canton  seemed  an  unrelated  place,  a  kind  of  a 
by-play.     The  Shanghai  I  knew  was  modern. 

As  we  approached  Peking,  we  caught  a  glimpse 
of  the  Great  Wall,  a  massive  gray  bulk,  with  the 
immense  corner  tower,  which  produced  a  feeling 
of  awe,  standing  as  though  it  were  an  entrance 
into  a  city  of  mystery  —  a  walled  town  of  over 
twenty  miles  in  circumference  which  was  vir- 
tually the  product  of  four  walled  cities  in  one. 
We  were  housed  in  the  new  and  spacious  Grand 
Hotel  des  Wagons-lits.  Our  stay  was  to  cover 
just  a  little  over  a  week ;  hence  vigorous  sight- 
seeing was  at  once  inaugurated,  and  the  first 
impression  received  was  the  great  age  of  every- 
thing that  surrounded  us. 

Peking  was  made  the  capital  of  the  whole 
Empire  by  Mongol  Kublai  Khan,  the  Wise,  a 
munificent  ruler  who  laid  the  foundation  plan 
of  what  we  see  to-day ;  but  the  origin  of  the  city 
dates  back  some  centuries  before  the  Christian 


FOUR  SECTIONS   OF  PEKING       275 

era.  The  Ming  Dynasty  extended  over  nearly 
three  centuries;  then  China,  being  threatened 
by  an  invasion  of  the  Manchus  from  the  north, 
was  aided  in  her  resistance  by  the  Manchus  at 
home,  and,  through  a  pecuHar  combination, 
they  secured  possession  of  the  throne  and  have 
held  it  ever  since.  The  foreign  rule  is  hated  by 
the  true  Chinese. 

The  four  sections  of  Peking  are :  (1)  The  For- 
bidden City,  called  the  Purple  City  by  the  Chi- 
nese because  formerly  only  purple  mortar  was 
used.  It  consists  virtually  of  a  palace  and  adja- 
cent buildings,  and  embraces  a  population  of 
nearly  six  thousand.  This  portion  of  the  city 
has  for  ages  been  closed  to  foreigners,  with  the 
exception  of  a  few  months  immediately  after 
the  Boxer  trouble  in  1900,  when  excursions  to 
the  Forbidden  City  were  made,  photographs  se- 
cured, and  also  a  small  guide-book  prepared. 
(2)  The  Imperial  City  surrounds  the  Forbidden 
City,  and  is  now  in  great  part  closed.  (3)  The 
Tartar  City  surrounds  the  Imperial  City,  and  is 
called  the  '*city  within  "  because  it  lies  within 
the  walls.  (4)  The  Chinese  or  Southern  City  is 
south  of  the  Tartar  City,  and  extends  somewhat 
beyond  it  to  the  east  and  west. 

Next  to  the  Great  Wall,  the  gateways  should 
demand  our  interest.  There  are  several,  and 
Hata-men  is  the  one  which  we  frequently  passed 
through.     It  was   always   thronged.     The   most 


276    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

densely  crowded  entrance,  however,  was  the 
Chinese  gate,  Chien-men;  here,  at  times,  it  was 
almost  impossible  for  the  jinrikisha  to  make  a 
passage.  The  street  scenes  in  Peking  are  won- 
derful because  of  their  variety,  and  the  length 
of  the  streets  adds  to  their  picturesqueness,  al- 
though they  are  not  quite  so  spectacular  as  those 
of  Jeypore,  India. 

Many  different  styles  of  dress  are  seen.  I  no- 
ticed the  long  flowing  robe  of  the  Manchu 
women,  with  the  Manchu  headdress  and  a  re- 
markable arrangement  of  hair  on  a  frame, 
spreading  at  the  back  with  a  sort  of  elongated 
butterfly  effect,  and  held  in  place  by  a  bright 
gold  hairpin.  The  bands  of  hair  are  brought 
over  in  a  way  to  give  the  impression  of  long 
loops,  and  they  are  decorated  with  bright  flowers. 
The  Manchu  women  are  taller  than  the  Chinese 
women,  and  walk  with  a  statelier  tread,  as  their 
feet  have  never  been  bound,  the  present  Empress 
many  years  ago  having  issued  an  edict  prohibit- 
ing that  custom.  The  edict  is,  however,  evaded, 
as  Chinese  fathers  and  husbands  insist  that  the 
custom  be  kept  up,  seeming  to  imagine  that 
abolishing  it  would  have  some  peculiar  effect  on 
the  character  of  the  wife,  perhaps  resulting  in 
insubordination.  The  Chinese  women  part  their 
glossy  black  hair  in  the  middle,  wear  it  in  smooth 
bands  down  the  side  of  the  forehead,  and  dress 
it  in  the  back  in  a  great  variety  of  low  loops. 


STREETS   IN   PEKING  277 

They  also  wear  jewelled  and  gold  hairpins  that 
are  really  very  artistic.  Their  dress  consists  of 
the  long  black  sack  coat  and  loose  trousers, 
much  like  those  of  a  man.  The  children  of 
Peking,  unlike  those  of  the  Orient,  where  clothes 
are  virtually  dispensed  with,  wear  long-sleeved, 
high-necked  garments  reaching  to  the  feet. 

The  bazars  and  shopping  streets  in  Peking 
were  interesting,  many  of  the  buildings  rising 
four  stories  in  height,  and  having  the  same 
long  narrow  decorated  signs  that  I  described 
in  Canton.  At  intervals  along  the  way  very  high 
poles  are  erected,  and  on  these  are  placed  dif- 
ferent kinds  of  signs,  giving  these  streets  a  bril- 
liant appearance.  The  usual  throng  of  dealers 
and  of  diverse  nationalities  are  represented,  re- 
sulting in  a  great  deal  of  bustle  and  activity, 
a  great  deal  of  noise  and  dirt.  The  crowds 
around  some  of  the  gateways  included  rows  of 
vehicles  and  sometimes  a  group  of  camels ;  but 
the  most  individual  of  all  conveyances  is  the 
Peking  cart;  indeed,  I  have  never  seen  any  in- 
animate object  that  wore  so  individual  an  air, 
and  when  viewed  in  large  numbers,  their  ap- 
pearance is  most  peculiar.  This  cart  is  two- 
wheeled,  with  a  roof,  and  with  sides  and  back 
enclosed.  One  horse  is  used.  In  the  front 
opening  sits  the  driver,  some  one  usually  at  his 
side,  while  behind  him,  far  in  the  back,  may  be 
seen   the   faces   of   the   occupants   peering   out. 


278    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

Many  of  the  carts  used  by  the  ordinary  people 
have  no  windows  or  openings  on  the  side; 
others  have  windows  covered  with  a  kind  of 
netting  which  admits  some  air. 

The  Llama  Temple  is  considered  to  be  one 
of  the  most  important  places  to  visit ;  it  is  in  the 
eastern  quarter  of  the  Tartar  City.  The  rule 
has  been  that  just  as  soon  as  an  emperor  ascends 
the  throne,  the  palace  that  he  had  previously 
occupied  shall  be  changed  into  a  temple. 
Such  was  the  origin  of  the  Llama  Temple,  once 
presided  over  by  three  thousand  Mongol  Llamas, 
and,  at  the  head  of  them,  a  living  Buddha.  The 
temple  has  six  parts :  first  the  outside  gate, 
then  the  entrance  gate,  then  a  large  hall  of  very 
imposing  proportions,  in  front  of  this  a  tablet 
upon  which  is  inscribed  the  history  of  Llamaism. 
Before  this  tablet  rests  a  bronze  incense  burner 
eii^ht  feet  high,  and  on  the  southwest  wall  of  the 
temple  hangs  a  picture  of  the  universe,  upheld 
by  the  four-clawed  feet  of  a  huge  sea-monster 
with  three  eyes.  There  are  also  three  lofty  pa- 
vilions. Beautiful  silken  rugs  used  to  be  laid  on 
the  floor  of  the  impressive  hall,  and  on  the  walls 
were  very  fine  hangings.  Many  precious  articles 
were  carried  away  in  1900,  at  the  time  of  the 
Boxer  trouble,  and  some  may  still  be  hidden. 

There  is  a  colossal  Buddha  here  of  very  evil 
countenance,  towering  three  stories,  and  said  to 
be  seventy  feet  high.     To  those  versed  in  Bud- 


<^ 


I- 


THE   CONFUCIAN   TEMPLE       279 

dhist  lore,  these  buildings  are  full  of  interest ;  it 
is  only  within  a  few  years  that  the  place  has 
been  open  to  the  public.  The  Llama  monks 
present  a  very  impressive  appearance  at  their 
evening  service,  with  their  long  gowns  crossed 
over,  and  their  high  caps  like  ancient  Roman 
casques. 

In  construction,  the  Confucian  Temple,  near 
by,  is  similar  to  all  Confucian  temples  through- 
out China;  the  hall  is  eighty-four  feet  long  and 
the  teakwood  pillars  forty  feet  high.  In  front 
there  is  a  marble  terrace,  twenty-eight  yards 
long  and  fifteen  feet  wide,  reached  on  three 
sides  by  seventeen  steps.  The  inscription  on 
the  Confucius  tablet,  written  in  Chinese  and 
Manchu  dialects,  says:  "The  tablet  of  the  soul 
of  the  most  holy  ancestral  teacher,  Confucius." 
Other  tablets  to  noted  teachers  hang  on  either 
side.  There  are  rows  of  cypresses  in  front  of 
the  hall  said  to  have  been  planted  one  thousand 
years  ago;  and  on  each  side  of  the  court  are 
buildings  containing  tablets  to  over  one  hun- 
dred celebrated  scholars.  A  temple  court  ex- 
tends in  front,  with  six  monuments  which 
record  foreign  conquests  by  emperors.  In  the 
court  of  the  Triennial  Examinations  there  is 
a  stone  tablet  to  commemorate  each  session,  on 
which  are  engraved  the  names  and  homes  of 
all  students  who  receive  the  title  of  Doctor  of 
Literature. 

37 


280    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

Another  unique  building,  west  of  the  Con- 
fucius Temple,  is  the  Hall  of  the  Classics.  Here 
there  is  a  richly  decorated  pailow,  with  en- 
caustic tiles,  chiefly  green  and  yellow ;  the 
three  archways  are  lined  with  white  marble. 
This  hall  was  designed  by  the  Emperor,  Chien- 
Lung,  to  complete  the  Confucius  Temple,  in 
which  till  then  the  classics  had  been  expounded. 
It  is  lofty  and  square,  with  double  eaves,  yellow 
tiles,  surmounted  by  a  specially  large  gilt  ball, 
and  encircled  by  a  fringe  carried  to  the  roof 
and  supported  by  massive  wooden  pillars.  In 
the  centre  is  a  circular  pool  of  water,  edged  by 
marble  balustrades,  with  a  bridge  spanning  it. 
There  is  also  a  remarkable  sun-dial.  Two  hun- 
dred upright  stone  monuments  engraved  on 
both  sides  contain  the  complete  text  of  the  nine 
classics,  very  finely  executed;  it  was  thought 
thus  to  preserve  the  purity  of  the  text.  There 
are  also  more  lists  of  successful  students  on 
stone  monoliths. 

The  Drum  Tower  was  another  point  visited, 
one  of  the  most  striking  objects  in  Peking ;  it  is 
oblong  and  quite  Chinese  in  character,  the 
upper  story  being  of  wood,  the  lower  of  brick. 
It  is  one  hundred  feet  high  and  about  the  same 
in  length  toward  the  base.  It  was  built  under 
the  Mongol  dynasty;  a  very  large  drum  stands 
in  the  middle  of  the  last  story,  and  a  climb  of 
sixty-eight  steps   up   a   steep   Chinese   staircase 


-§> 


THE   TEMPLE   OF   HEAVEN       281 

gave  us  a  fine  view  of  the  entire  city.  A  short 
distance  from  the  Drum  Tower  is  the  Bell  Tower. 
This  is  built  of  brick  and  stone,  ninety  feet 
high,  and  is  also  Mongol  in  origin;  the  bell 
weighs  twenty  thousand  pounds  and  is  still  used 
to  tell  the  watches  of  the  night;  the  drum  in 
the  tower  is  struck  at  the  same  time. 

Some  Chinese  authority  states  that  there  are  ten 
thousand  temples  in  Peking,  all  built  under  the 
Mongol  dynasty  (thirteenth  century) ,  or  the  Ming 
dynasty  (fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries).  Of 
these,  the  most  striking  is  the  Temple  or  Altar 
of  Heaven  in  the  southern  part  of  the  Chinese 
City,  erected  by  the  Ming  Emperor,  Yung-loh, 
in  1421 ;  the  enclosure,  a  fine  park,  measures 
about  six  thousand  feet  around.  There  are 
three  large,  imposing  gates,  —  south,  east,  and 
west.  To  the  north,  the  wall  is  crescent  shaped 
and  is  without  an  entrance.  The  Altar  or 
Temple  of  Heaven,  open  to  the  sky,  is  circular 
and  of  white  marble.  It  is  three  stories  high; 
the  base  measures  two  hundred  and  ten  feet 
across,  the  second  story  one  hundred  and  fifty 
feet,  the  third  ninety  feet.  One  large  marble 
slab  is  in  the  centre.  The  white  marble  balus- 
trades are  richly -carved  to  represent  clouds.  In 
the  upper  story,  there  are  seventy-two  pillars; 
in  the  middle,  one  hundred  and  eight;  and  in 
the  lower,  one  hundred  and  eighty;  thus  mak- 
ing, in  all,  three  hundred  and  sixty,  the  number 


282    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

Qf  degrees  in  a  circle.  It  is  on  the  central  marble 
slab  that  the  Emperor  stands  and  prostrates 
himself,  worshipping  under  the  blue  arch  of 
heaven.  He  goes  three  times  a  year  to  this 
temple,  praying  before  daybreak,  and  having 
spent  the  previous  night  in  the  Grand  Hall  of 
Abstinence  close  by. 

Between  this  and  the  closed  Altar  of  Heaven, 
there  is  the  small  Temple  of  Prayer,  where  the 
ancestral  tablets  are  kept,  capped  by  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  roofs  in  Peking.  This  temple 
is  a  gem ;  its  bricks  and  tiles  are  of  the  finest 
porcelain,  and  everything  dates  from  the  best 
period  of  Chinese  art.  The  northern  Temple 
of  Heaven  has  a  three-fold  roof  of  blue  tiles, 
recently  rebuilt,  the  early  one  having  been 
burned  down.  There  are  magnificent  columns 
in  this,  and  the  ceiling  is  very  elaborate.  Before 
leaving  the  enclosure  at  the  left  of  the  gateway, 
we  went  through  a  large  palace  not  in  use  at 
the  present  time,  except  on  rare  occasions; 
this  was  not  in  the  itinerary,  but  our  guide  se- 
cured admission  by  paying  a  generous  fee. 
Only  a  few  rooms  were  furnished,  but  these 
were  in  excellent  taste. 

We  next  drove  to  the  Altar  or  Temple  of 
Agriculture.  This  is  where  General  Chaffee 
and  the  American  troops  were  quartered  after 
the  relief  of  Peking  in  1900.  The  hall  is  the 
largest  in  the  city,    but  there  is  nothing  special 


.Si 


A  SPRINGTIME   CEREMONY      283 

to  see  in  it.  The  rites  observed  here  are  nearly 
as  important  as  those  at  the  Temple  of  Heaven. 
The  enclosure  is  two  miles  in  circumference. 
The  first  two  altars  are  rectangular;  that  of 
the  Spirits  of  Heaven,  on  the  east,  is  fifty  feet 
long  and  four  and  one-half  feet  high;  and  the 
marble  tablets  therein  contain  the  names  of  the 
celebrated  mountains,  lakes,  and  seas  of  China. 
On  the  first  day  of  the  second  period  of  Spring, 
the  Emperor  goes  there  with  three  princes,  nine 
great  men,  and  a  numerous  following,  all  of 
them  understood  to  be  fasting.  After  they  have 
worshipped,  they  proceed  to  the  field  which 
has  been  prepared ;  the  bullock,  the  plough,  and 
other  accessories  are  all  of  Imperial  yellow. 
The  Emperor  traces  a  furrow  from  east  to  west ; 
returning  four  times,  he  thus  makes  eight  fur- 
rows. The  First  Minister  of  the  Treasury 
stands  on  the  right  with  a  whip,  the  Viceroy  of 
the  Province  on  the  left  with  the  grain,  while  a 
third  official  scatters  the  seed  behind  the  Em- 
peror. The  three  Princes  each  plough  ten  fur- 
rows, and  so  the  work  proceeds  through  all  the 
dignitaries,  according  to  their  rank.  The  after- 
noon was  one  of  the  most  interesting  we  spent 
in  Peking,  the  temperature  being  perfect  like  our 
own  June  at  home ;  all  Nature  was  in  harmony 
with  the  scene. 

The    Observatory   was   formerly    one    of   the 
most  distinctive  sights  in  Peking.     It  affords  a 


284    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

magnificent  view  towards  the  south  of  the  wall 
of  the  Tartar  City.  The  wonderful  bronze 
instruments  therein  have  outlived  their  useful- 
ness, but  their  artistic  merit  makes  them  a  glory 
and  a  joy.  The  Examination  Hall  was  formerly 
situated  close  by  the  site  of  the  Observatory,  but 
when  we  were  there  it  was  being  dismantled. 
The  old  method  of  examination  is  being  given 
up,  and  the  reform  is  one  of  the  progressive 
changes  in  Peking,  upsetting  the  precedent  of 
ao-es.  The  examination  of  students  is  now  car- 
ried  on  very  much  as  it  is  in  other  countries. 

Leaving  the  city,  we  drove  some  miles  along 
the  outskirts  to  the  Yellow  Temple.  There 
are  two  temples,  the  eastern  and  the  western; 
and,  in  front,  are  two  very  beautiful  pavilions. 
Chien  Lung  repaired  the  western  temple  and 
changed  it  into  a  dwelling  for  Mongol  princes, 
who  arrived  each  year  to  pay  their  tribute. 
This  is  one  of  the  finest  buildings  in  China;  it 
has  great  size,  beautiful  proportions,  and  a 
square  entrance  porch ;  but,  since  its  occupa- 
tion in  1900  by  some  of  the  Allied  Forces,  it  has 
begun  to  fall  into  ruins.  The  eastern  temple 
is  in  good  condition,  and  critics  claim  that  its 
proportions  surpass  those  of  any  temple  in 
Japan.  The  magnificent  white  marble  monu- 
ment or  pagoda  was  erected  by  Chien  Lung 
over  the  grave  of  the  Teshu  Llama  who  died  of 
small-pox  while  on  a  visit  there.     On  the  eight 


Si 


THE   FORBIDDEN   CITY  285 

sides  of  the  memorial  are  engraved  scenes  in 
the  Llama's  life ;  these  bas-reliefs  are  very  in- 
teresting. The  great  White  Temple  is  the  most 
beautiful  monument  in  the  environs  of  Peking, 
and  it  is  well  worth  the  long  drive  to  see  it.  On 
our  return,  we  passed  through  the  usual  number 
of  gates,  from  the  Chinese  to  the  Tartar,  and 
from  the  Tartar  to  the  Imperial ;  only  a  small 
portion  of  this  latter  section  can  be  seen,  but 
we  caught  glimpses  of  the  many  lovely  build- 
ings in  the  Forbidden  City,  and  it  was  most 
tantalizing  not  to  be  able  to  enter  the  sacred 
precincts.  From  a  sketch  taken  in  1900,  we 
can  form  an  idea  of  the  many  interesting  points 
in  this  Forbidden  City.  The  Imperial  City, 
enclosing  the  Forbidden  City,  is  over  five  miles 
in  circumference;  its  walls  are  eighteen  feet 
high,  with  four  entrances  about  seventy  feet 
wide.  There  are  three  gates,  the  central  one 
of  which  is  reserved  for  the  Emperor.  People 
are  allowed  to  look  in,  but  not  to  enter  by  this 
southern  gate;  the  northern  and  eastern  gates 
are  open  to  the  public. 

One  view  in  the  Forbidden  City  is  that  of  the 
Coal  Hall,  two  hundred  and  ten  feet  high.  It 
dates  from  the  Mongol  dynasty,  when  coal  is 
said  to  have  been  piled  up  there  as  a  provision 
in  case  of  siege,  the  Ming  Emperor  having 
covered  it  all  with  beautiful  pavilions. 

Beyond  the  wall  to  the  north  is  the  Hall  of 

88 


286    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR   EAST 

Longevity,  where  the  Emperor's  cofBn  remains 
after  his  death  and  until  his  funeral. 

The  White  Dagoba  is  conspicuous  in  all  Peking 
views ;  it  is  within  the  gardens  which  are  re- 
served for  the  court,  and  was  built  by  the  first 
emperor  of  the  present  dynasty  as  a  shrine  for 
a  very  fine  Buddha.  The  White  Dagoba  is 
regarded  as  the  palladium  of  the  Empire,  and 
stands  at  the  very  centre  of  the  loveliest  part  of 
the  palace  grounds.  A  little  farther  to  the  west 
is  found  the  finest  pailow  in  Peking,  made  of 
very  beautiful  encaustic  tiles ;  and  behind  a 
neighboring  hillock  rests  the  celebrated  dragon 
screen,  sixty  feet  long  and  twenty  feet  high;  it 
was  built  to  protect  the  library,  which  was  un- 
fortunately burned  during  the  occupation  of 
the  allied  forces  in  1900. 

A  noticeable  feature  is  the  Temple  of  Ten 
Thousand  Buddhas,  all  of  glittering  Imperial 
yellow,  the  walls  covered  with  animals  and 
small  images  of  Buddha.  The  three  lakes, 
northern,  middle,  and  southern,  are  a  little  over 
two  miles  long;  a  beautiful  marble  bridge  con- 
nects the  northern  with  the  middle  lake. 

The  Winter  or  Skating  Palace  was  distinctive 
for  the  finest  wood  carvings  in  China;  these 
were  also  burned  by  accident  in  1900.  A  large 
pavilion,  surrounded  by  a  circular  wall,  is 
near  the  marble  bridge.  In  this  pavilion  is 
the  throne,  and  it  was  there  audience  was  given 


I- 


^ 


-5i 


THE   SUMMER  PALACE  287 

to  several  European  ambassadors  in  1893; 
there  also  the  Emperor  puts  on  mourning  gar- 
ments,—  when,  for  instance,  he  had  to  grieve 
for  his  father,  Prince  Chan.  At  the  northeast 
corner  of  the  palace  stands  the  fine  yellow-tiled 
temple,  with  an  imposing  entrance ;  it  has  large 
gates,  within  the  outer  of  which  are  two  very 
quaint  pavilions.  Four  or  five  roofs  are  piled, 
one  on  the  other,  and  these  can  be  distinctly 
seen  from  outside  the  walls  of  the  Forbidden 
City.  This  brief  outline  may  give  one  a  little 
idea  of  what  the  public  are  deprived  of  seeing. 
Most  of  the  buildings  of  the  Forbidden  City 
are  yellow-tiled,  as  are  also  the  walls. 

The  Summer  Palace  is  the  only  one  of  the 
Peking  buildings  that  dates  from  the  present 
Manchu  dynasty.  There  had  previously  been 
a  palace  there,  but  it  had  a  long  while  since 
fallen  into  decay.  It  is  said  to  have  had  lovely 
gardens,  and  many  canals  winding  in  and  out, 
while  in  other  places  little  miniature  lakes  are 
formed.  The  principal  palace  is  attractive  and 
rises  on  an  eminence,  but  there  are  pavilions 
and  lesser  buildings  scattered  about.  The 
present  palace  is,  however,  very  inferior  to 
those  royal  residerlces  of  olden  times;  it  suf- 
fered greatly  in  1900;  the  Russian  soldiers 
seemed  to  take  delight  in  destroying  works  of 
art  and  historic  buildings.  Some  of  the  marble 
bridges  are  very  effective,  and  there  is  a  marble 


288    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR   EAST 

boat,  not  in  itself  very  beautiful,  but  a  pic- 
turesque feature  as  it  lay  anchored  by  the  lake. 
We  saw  it  from  a  high  hill  beyond  the  Em- 
peror's palace,  where  is  located  a  Buddhist 
pagoda.  We  had  a  view  of  the  palace  with  its 
enclosure  and  its  minor  buildings. 

This  was  one  feature  seen  during  an  excur- 
sion which  a  friend  and  I  took,  escorted  by  a 
guide  and  a  picnic  luncheon  basket  on  Satur- 
day, May  25th.  We  left  the  hotel  early  for  a 
six-mile  drive,  passing  first  through  the  crowded 
streets,  again  noting  the  dusty  way  of  the  Im- 
perial City,  which  wound  around  near  the 
walls  of  the  Forbidden  City,  every  pinnacle  and 
roof  gleaming  in  the  morning  light.  Leaving 
the  outskirts  of  the  town,  the  country  view  was 
the  pleasantest  we  had  seen.  Our  road  lay 
alongside  of  the  canal,  where  there  were  more 
trees  and  less  dust. 

On  the  way  we  first  visited  the  Five  Pagoda 
Buddhist  Temple,  which  seems  to  belong  to  a 
difl'erent  world  from  that  of  to-day.  It  is  a 
square  mass  of  masonry  fifty  feet  high,  covered 
with  old  colored  tiles  and  with  beautiful  reliefs 
of  camels.  On  its  flat  top  there  are  five  pagodas, 
each  eleven  stories  high;  also,  adjacent  to  it, 
a  very  elegant  square  pagoda,  and,  in  front  of 
it,  what  seems  like  the  top  of  another  large 
pagoda.  Farther  on,  we  saw  the  Ten  Thou- 
sand   Buddha   Temple;     it   is    not   remarkable 


V. 


c3 


TEN  THOUSAND  BUDDHA  TEMPLE    289 

architecturally,  and  there  are  two  large  spacious 
buildings  with  a  court  between  them.  One  of 
them  consists  of  two  stories,  in  both  of  which 
is  a  large  room  lined  with  little  compartments 
containing  small  gilt  Buddhas.  The  guide  said 
there  was  a  total  of  nine  hundred  and  ninety- 
nine  already,  and  the  thousandth  place  was  re- 
served for  the  Dowager  Empress  when  she  died. 

We  drove  on  to  the  village,  adjacent  to  the 
Summer  Palace,  where  we  took  jinrikishas  for  a 
ride  of  about  two  miles,  following  along  the  out- 
skirts of  the  Summer  Palace.  Here  were  some 
temples,  evidently  not  now  used  as  places  of 
worship,  since  the  guide  informed  us  that  our 
luncheon  would  be  served  in  the  open  court  of 
one  of  them.  After  our  impromptu  meal  we 
proceeded  to  walk  about  half  a  mile  farther 
and  then  ascended  an  eminence  with  several 
flights  of  stairs  leading  to  the  pagoda  which  I 
have  previously  alluded  to.  We  obtained,  not 
only  a  view  of  the  Summer  Palace,  but  of  the 
surrounding  country.  The  little  pagoda  was 
several  stories  high,  and  very  tasteful  in  all  its 
appointments ;  it  is  said  to  have  been  built  in 
commemoration  of  some  event,  but  the  guide 
could  give  us  no  exact  information.  We  re- 
traced our  way  to  the  city,  and  then  drove 
through  certain  streets  in  order  to  enjoy  the 
peculiar  life  around  us. 

The  three  or  four  miles  stretching  between 


290    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

the  Chien-men  and  Hata-men  gates  on  that  Sat- 
urday afternoon  surpass  description.  The  Em- 
peror's middle  gate  barred  out  the  crowds ;  this 
opened  on  a  somewhat  discolored  bridge,  with 
fine  carving  and  artistic  balustrades,  but  the  eye 
does  not  like  to  linger  here  long  on  account  of 
the  crowds  of  beggars  everywhere  visible;  in- 
deed, the  hordes  of  women,  children,  vehicles, 
and  processions  of  every  variety  seemed  in- 
credible. Funeral  corteges  in  particular  were 
very  doleful ;  discordant  music  preceded  the 
funeral  car,  and  the  crowds  of  paid  mourners 
in  motley  dress,  many  of  them  picked  up  off 
the  street  for  the  occasion,  were  a  new  and  dis- 
tasteful feature.  We  saw  on  that  trip  three  of 
these  funerals,  all  similarly  arranged,  but  only 
one  modest  wedding  procession.  The  bride 
sat  in  a  red  silk-covered  chair  or  palanquin,  sur- 
rounded by  friends ;  the  usual  attempts  were 
made  at  music.  Whether  the  happy  lady  was 
Manchu  or  Chinese  we  were  unable  to  deter- 
mine, the  curtains  being  carefully  drawn. 

This  thoroughfare,  between  the  two  gates 
alluded  to,  is  famous  for  its  gayly  decorated 
shops  with  long,  ornamented  signs  and  banners 
flying  in  every  direction.  There  are  many  such 
streets  in  Peking,  and  a  few  shady  residence 
thoroughfares,  but  our  way  usually  led  through 
the  congested  sections.  Pailows,  where  streets 
are  crossed  at  right  angles,  are  interesting,  and 


•ia£^v>>y:-'»>-rr?-    ^£'.?:m'sm^^e7n 


THE   GREAT   WALL  291 

they  have  usually  commemorative  arches ;  and 
sometimes  the  business  houses  of  the  locality 
bear  their  name,  as  the  Four  Pailow  Shop. 

Legation  Street  is  the  home  for  ambassadors 
and  ministers,  and  is  a  decided  contrast  to  the 
majority  of  native  streets.  Many  of  the  foreign 
buildings  are  fine,  the  grounds  large,  with  im- 
posing gateways,  over  which  may  be  seen  the 
coat  of  arms  of  the  country  which  is  represented. 
The  British  Legation  was  formerly  a  palace. 
In  the  grounds  is  the  English  Chapel ;  here  we 
attended  service  on  Sunday.  Our  hotel  was 
nearly  opposite  the  British  Embassy;  hence,  in 
going  in  or  out,  we  usually  touched  Legation 
Street. 

A  notable  excursion  from  Peking  is  to  the 
Great  Wall  and  the  Ming  tombs.  The  Wall 
we  were  to  see  was  not  the  original  one,  built 
in  215  B.  c,  but  an  inner  wall  of  the  seventh 
century,  which  had'  still  later  been  rebuilt  by 
the  Ming  emperors.  We  left  in  the  morning  for 
the  Nankow  Hotel,  where  we  were  to  pass  the 
night.  On  our  way  to  the  Peking  station,  we  saw 
the  Emperor,  en  route  from  his  Summer  Palace 
to  the  city,  in  a  yellow  silk  sedan  chair,  numer- 
ously attended  by  persons  also  robed  in  yellow. 
After  luncheon  at  Nankow,  we  took  sedan  chairs 
ourselves  for  a  twenty-six-mile  ride  to  the  Great 
Wall  through  the  Nankow  Pass.  The  long  pro- 
cessions  of   guides   and  chairs   were   very   pic- 

39 


292    TRAVELS   IN  THE   FAR  EAST 

turesque,  and  there  were  also  extra  attendants 
as  a  necessary  relay.  The  road  was  rather 
rough  and  very  dusty,  and  our  progress  was 
therefore  slow.  Our  roadway  wound  along, 
sometimes  near  a  mountain,  which  lay  on  one 
side,  with  the  valley  on  the  other.  The  first 
gateway  or  arch  we  passed  through  was  pro- 
fusely decorated,  having  as  a  frieze  a  row  of 
six  Buddhas  to  right  and  left,  and  large  Chinese 
figures  below.  Farther  on,  we  came  to  an- 
other gateway,  and  then  to  another,  the  Pa-ta- 
ling,  thirteen  miles  from  Nankow  and  the  top 
of  the  Nankow  Pass.  From  every  side  long 
vistas  could  be  seen ;  then  portions  of  the  Wall 
winding  in  and  out,  and  ever  and  anon  a  mas- 
sive watch  tower  looming  forth. 

We  left  our  chairs  and  walked  a  considerable 
way  up  the  mountain  side  to  the  ruined  watch 
towers ;  the  one  I  entered  was  a  large  oblong 
building,  with  six  windows  and  two  doorways; 
farther  on  was  another  similar  watch  tower, 
and,  at  a  greater  distance,  another.  These  add 
greatly  to  the  picturesqueness  of  the  wide  mas- 
sive wall  —  wide  enough  for  two  or  three  per- 
sons to  ride  abreast.  Taken  altogether,  the 
view  from  the  Nankow  Pass  is  one  of  the  most 
magnificent  I  have  ever  seen,  and,  of  course, 
entirely  unlike  any  other.  It  was  a  glorious  day, 
and  all  the  elements  seemed  to  conspire  to  make 
it  a  perfect  occasion. 


THE    MING   TOMBS  293 

Resuming  our  chairs,  we  proceeded  to  retrace 
our  steps ;  and  in  about  an  hour  we  stopped 
at  a  little  hamlet  for  an  afternoon  collation  fur- 
nished by  our  very  thoughtful  Director.  The 
shades  of  night  were  beginning  to  fall  when  we 
resumed  our  journey,  and  erelong  darkness 
overtook  us.  We  were  all  more  or  less  sepa- 
rated, as  the  guides  made  no  attempt  to  keep 
together;  and  the  sensation  of  being  propelled 
by  natives  who  did  not  speak  one  word  of 
English  was  very  peculiar  and  uncomfortable. 

We  arrived  at  the  hotel  about  nine  in  the 
evening;  a  late  dinner  followed,  and  we  sepa- 
rated with  the  expectation  of  meeting  in  the 
morning  at  five,  for  the  departure  to  the  Ming 
tombs.  This  is  a  distance  of  eight  miles,  or 
sixteen  there  and  back  to  Nankow.  The  caval- 
cade left  in  the  same  fashion  as  on  the  day 
previous.  Our  way  led  us  over  the  hills,  —  an 
irregular  roadway,  first  through  a  field  and  past 
two  little  villages.  We  then  came  to  a  mag- 
nificently carved  pailow  of  white  marble,  fifty 
feet  high,  eighty  feet  wide,  and  divided  into 
five  openings  by  square  pillars.  Half  a  mile 
farther  on  stands  the  Red  Gate;  and  there  was 
formerly  a  beautifyl  pavilion  of  white  marble, 
supported  on  four  carved  columns.  It  may  be 
well  to  state  before  proceeding,  that  there  are 
in  this  vicinity,  within  a  few  miles  of  each 
other,  thirteen  Ming  tombs,  the  Ming  dynasty 


294    TRAVELS   IN  THE   FAR  EAST 

preceding  the  present  one.  Yung-lohi  is  con- 
sidered the  finest  of  the  group,  and  this  was 
now  to  be  our  objective  point.  Half  a  mile 
beyond  the  pailow  ah*eady  alluded  to  is  the 
Red  Gate.  Next  is  the  Holy  Way.  From  here 
on  for  about  half  a  mile,  there  is  a  regular 
procession  of  animals  and  persons,  all  cut  out 
of  bluish  marble  monoliths,  remarkable  for 
their  workmanship  and  for  their  great  size, 
which  causes  one  to  speculate  how  they  could 
have  been  brought  from  the  quarry.  First,  there 
are  two  columns  decorated  with  sculptured 
clouds,  two  lions  couchant,  two  lions  rampant. 
Then,  in  similar  manner,  four  camels,  four  ele- 
phants, and  so  on.  After  this  come  four  military 
officials,  four  civil  officials,  four  celebrated  men, 
each  made  from  a  single  block  of  marble, 
standing  on  opposite  sides  of  the  way,  and  all 
wearing  the  old  Ming  dress  used  by  the  Chi- 
nese before  the  Manchus  introduced  their  own 
costumes. 

Leaving  the  Holy  Way,  we  passed  through 
another  arch,  and  came  out  on  a  street  formerly 
paved  with  marble  slabs.  At  some  distance  to 
one  side,  we  saw  two  of  the  Ming  tombs  alluded 
to.  We  passed  three  mar})le  bridges,  one  of 
seven  ai'ches,  very  nuich  bi'okeu  down.  Two 
miles  farther  on,  there  is  the  })iincipal  enclosure 
around  Yung-loh's  tomb;  it  has  a  pavilion  pro- 
tecting a  huge  tablet  with  white  marble  steps 


V. 


'fftrj^jfiilS 


MING   TOMBS   DESCRIBED        295 

and  railings  carved  to  represent  clouds,  phoenix, 
and  dragons.  Beyond  lies  the  great  hall,  seventy 
yards  long  by  thirty  yards  wide,  and  supported 
upon  eight  rows  of  teakwood  pillars,  four  in  each 
row,  measuring  twelve  feet  in  circumference 
and  sixty  feet  high.  This  is  a  typical  ancestral 
hall.     Our  luncheon  was  served  to  us  here. 

Passing  through  another  great  yard  planted 
with  cypresses  and  oaks,  a  way  cut  into  solid 
masonry  leads  up  to  the  carefully  closed  door 
of  the  tomb.  This  passage  divides  into  two 
branches,  both  leading  to  a  long  flight  of  steps 
which  mount  to  the  top  of  the  terrace,  where, 
immediately  above  the  coffin  passage,  is  an 
immense  upright  slab  bearing  an  inscription. 
The  mound  on  which  this  tomb  is  placed  is 
half  a  mile  in  circuit,  and,  though  artificial, 
looks  natural,  being  planted  with  cypresses  and 
oaks  to  the  very  top.  The  emperors  used  to 
come  in  the  Spring  and  Autumn  to  sacrifice  at 
these  ancient  graves,  but  for  two  centuries  this 
duty  has  been  left  to  a  descendant  of  the  Ming 
emperors. 

There  were  different  features  to  each  of  the 
Ming  tombs,  but,  having  seen  the  representative 
one,  we  were  content  to  return  to  Nankow,  as 
we  were  to  take  the  afternoon  train  for  Peking. 
While  the  trip  to  the  Great  Wall  and  the  Ming 
tombs  is  somewhat  fatiguing,  the  interest  is  so 
great  as  to  reward  one  for  the  exertion. 


296    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR   EAST 

We  went  our  individual  ways  the  last  day 
in  Peking,  I  to  the  Chinese  City  in  pursuit  of 
a  mandarin  coat  for  a  friend.  After  passing 
through  block  after  block  in  a  chaotic  condition, 
dirt  and  de})ris  of  all  kinds  flung  everywhere, 
I  left  the  chair  and  walked  quite  a  distance 
through  lanelike  passages  to  the  place  designated, 
where  I  found  that  the  dealer  had  transferred  all 
his  embroideries  to  the  hotel  in  which  we  were 
staying,  and  that  the  said  coat  was  probably  in 
the  collection  I  had  looked  at  the  previous 
evening.  Having  devoted  two  hours  to  the  pur- 
suit, I  was  somewhat  discomfited.  I  then  hurried 
to  some  of  the  streets  leading  off  from  Beggars' 
Bridge,  a  place  which  is,  as  its  name  suggests, 
the  headquarters  for  beggars.  Strange  as  it  may 
seem,  there  is  a  guild  of  beggars  in  Peking, 
with  an  acknowledged  king;  their  profession  in 
the  East  is  a  fine  art.  There  are  interesting 
thoroughfares  leading  out  from  this  bridge, — 
one,  a  Curio  Street,  where  every  conceivable 
article  can  be  found,  and  the  other.  Bookseller 
Street.  This  last  was  a  disappointment,  as  I  was 
told  that  rare  editions  could  be  had ;  but  through 
the  inter[)reter,  I  learned  that  the  conditions  of 
the  city  had  been  altered  since  the  Boxer  Rebel- 
lion in  1890.  Indeed,  that  feaifiil  event  was  the 
cause  of  many  changes  in  Peking  and  of  great 
suffering  as  well.  The  story  of  the  conflict 
as  related  by  an  eyewitness  was  very  thrilling. 


;2 


^ 


EMPEROR   AND   EMPRESS        297 

Certain  portions  of  the  city  at  the  present  time 
consist  of  naught  but  ruins,  such  as  the  foreign 
mission  buildings  and  the  eastern  and  south- 
ern cathedrals,  one  of  which  was  in  process  of 
renovation.  The  Legation  quarter  has  been 
mostly  rebuilt. 

The  cause  of  the  Boxer  Rebellion  was  every- 
where given  in  Peking  as  having  been  instigated 
by  the  Dowager  Empress  and  her  sympathizers. 
No  one  can  visit  the  city  without  receiving  some 
definite  impression  of  this  wonderful  woman, 
who  for  years  has  dominated  all  other  authority 

—  violating  traditions  considered  sacred,  and  rul- 
ing with  an  imperious  hand.  For  the  Emperor 
only  sympathy  was  felt.  Of  a  refined,  sensi- 
tive nature,  but  not  strong  physically,  he  seems 
to  be  a  man  of  intelligence  and  of  broad  ideas. 
This  was  shown  in  1898,  when  he  announced 
that  he  intended  to  rule  as  other  emperors  did 

—  to  visit  throughout  his  Empire;  he  even  pro- 
jected a  railway  journey  to  Tientsin  in  Septem- 
ber, and  planned  many  innovations.  This  was 
accomplished  in  conjunction  with  a  few  kindred 
spirits  belonging  to  the  so-called  Reform  Party 
in  China. 

Soon  after,  the  Elmpress  seemingly  acquiesced 
in  the  plan  of  reform,  and  announced  that  she 
too  was  interested  in  progress ;  but,  whether 
sincere  or  not,  erelong  the  tables  were  turned; 
six  of  the  Emperor's  advisers  were  beheaded, 


298    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

and  the  seventh,  an  intimate  friend  of  the  Em- 
peror, advised  in  time,  left  the  country.  Then 
the  Empress  had  the  Emperor  confined,  and 
she  was  proclaimed  his  successor;  but  the  open 
intervention  of  the  Allied  Powers  caused  him 
to  be  returned  to  the  throne.  It  is  said  that 
for  ten  years  he  has  been  an  invalid.  Can  any 
one  wonder,  knowing  the  constant  espionage 
and  continual  opposition  to  which  he  has  been 
subjected  ?  After  two  years'  contemplating  of 
the  beauties  of  the  court.  Emperor  Kwang  Su  was 
married,  very  much  against  his  will,  however 
(preferring  another) ,  to  the  niece  of  the  Dowager 
Empress,  the  beautiful  Yohonola;  her  photo- 
graph proves  this  to  be  a  true  statement.  For 
her  has  been  reserved  the  sad  fate  of  remaining 
childless,  and,  in  consequence,  she  is  kept  in 
the  background  and  rarely  ever  mentioned. 
Tsze  Hsi  An  is  really  one  of  the  most  remark- 
able women  in  the  world's  history.  Of  very 
humble  origin,  and  uneducated,  she,  on  the 
birth  of  her  son,  became  the  reigning  Emperor's 
wife  of  the  second  rank.  At  his  death  and  also 
at  the  death  of  her  superior,  she  became  regent 
during  the  minority  of  her  son,  and  on  his  death 
violated  traditions  (the  law  prohibiting  succes- 
sion to  one  of  the  same  generation  as  the  dead 
ruler),  and  had  the  nephew  of  the  deceased 
Emperor  proclaimed,  she  reigning  as  regent 
until  his  majority  and  virtually  thereafter. 


Emperor  Kwangsu  of  China 


40 


THE    CHINESE   ADVANCE         299 

Since  1900  the  Empress  has  shown  a  desire 
to  meet  ladies  of  other  nationalities  in  audience, 
and  an  American  woman  who  had  lived  thirty- 
five  years  in  Japan  and  China  told  me  that  the 
only  thing  required  was  an  official  endorsement 
by  the  Secretary  of  State  (if  American).  Her 
failing  health,  however,  during  the  past  year 
caused  an  entire  cessation  of  social  courtesies.  A 
woman  of  remarkably  strong  character,  domi- 
nant will,  and  unscrupulous  as  to  methods,  she 
is  the  most  perfect  example,  in  juxtaposition,  of 
the  masculine  woman,  as  the  Emperor  is  of  the 
feminine  man. 

We  observed  many  things  about  the  Chinese 
of  to-day  that  point  to  progress,  however  slow. 
The  schools,  for  instance,  are  modelled  on  a 
much  broader  basis ;  there  is  more  independ- 
ence in  journalism;  Chinese  athletics  are  also 
coming  into  vogue,  where  they  were  formerly 
held  in  contempt;  Young  Men's  Christian  As- 
sociations flourish  in  various  places,  and  fine 
work  is  being  done  by  the  many  foreign  mis- 
sionary organizations.  I  heard  much  com- 
ment made  concerning  the  American  missions; 
their  work  along  educational  lines  and  in  the 
way  of  hospitals  .was  specially  commended. 
Even  Li  Hung  Chang,  though  a  Confucian,  tes- 
tified to  their  value,  as  have  other  prominent 
Manchus.  The  mission  movement  in  general 
is  being  regarded  as  a  great  sociological  force 


300    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

which,  though  working  slowly,  tends  to  a  higher 
condition  of  life. 

All  the  signs  of  the  times  indicate  that  China 
and  the  United  States  are  destined  some  day  to 
come  into  closer  relations  with  each  other  so- 
cially, intellectually  and  of  course  commercially, 
as  self-interest  is  a  great  factor  in  the  further- 
ance of  any  attitude.  One  of  the  means  to  this 
end  is  the  Chinese  student  in  American  colleges 
and  schools ;  the  number  is,  however,  very  much 
smaller  than  in  England,  while  five  thousand  men 
are  entered  in  Japanese  colleges  and  schools,  on 
account  of  the  nearer  proximity  of  Japan  and 
consequently  the  less  expense. 

Mention  is  constantly  being  made  of  the  Re- 
form Party  in  China,  and  hints  at  revolution 
are  even  heard.  On  this  point  it  is  well  to  quote 
an  extract  from  ''China  and  America  of  To-day." 
The  authority  says:  ''The  Chinese  people  have 
no  right  to  legislation ;  they  have  no  right  of 
self -taxation.  They  have  not  the  power  of  voting 
out  their  rulers,  or  of  limiting  or  stopping  their 
supplies ;  they  have  therefore  the  right  of  rebel- 
lion. Rebellion  is,  in  China,  the  old,  often  ex- 
ercised, legitimate,  and  constitutional  means  of 
stopping  arbitrary  and  vicious  legislation  and 
administration."  Will  it  be  necessary  to  resort 
to  revolution  in  order  to  effect  needed  reforms  ? 
Time  alone  will  determine. 


The  Dowager  Empress  of  Ch'uiu 


SIGHTS   IN  TIENTSIN  301 

Tientsin,  May  26th:  We  left  Peking  in  the 
morning,  and  reached  Tientsin  at  11  a.  m.,  go- 
ing to  the  Imperial  Hotel,  where  we  were  to 
remain  two  days.  After  luncheon  we  took  a 
drive,  first  to  the  native  city.  There  remains  of 
the  old  walls  and  two  fine  gateways,  which  stand 
as  reminders  of  an  historic  past,  are  to  be  seen. 
The  street  groups  and  bazars  were  similar  to 
those  observed  in  other  cities,  but  far  less  inter- 
esting than  those  in  Peking.  The  native  city  is 
said  to  number  from  six  hundred  thousand  to  a 
million  persons ;  and  yet,  so  extended  and  com- 
plete is  the  ground  covered  by  the  different 
foreign  concessions,  numbering  less  than  four 
thousand  persons,  that  they  virtually  represent 
the  Tientsin  of  to-day;  the  British  concession 
alone  sets  the  tone  to  the  city,  with  its  fine  busi- 
ness blocks.  In  Memorial  Hall,  dedicated  to 
General  Gordon,  the  municipal  offices  of  the 
concession  are  located.  The  fine  Public  Garden 
is  the  centre,  three  times  a  week,  of  a  military 
band  concert,  which  attracts  a  large  attendance 
and  makes  a  brilliant  scene,  with  its  myriad 
electric  lights.  This  feature  of  Tientsin  life  was 
introduced  long  ago  by  Viceroy  Li  Hung  Chang, 
early  in  his  term  of  office  (1870-1891) ;  and  he 
is  said  to  have  paid  for  the  instruction  of  the 
first  military  band.  The  building  of  the  Indus- 
trial Association  is  popularly  called  ''pigs  in 
clover,"  and  we  learned  from  actual  experience 


302    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

that  the  name  was  truly  aj)pHed,  as  we  had  to 
make  the  long  weary  round  before  we  could 
secure  an  exit. 

On  Victoria  Road  there  are  many  private 
residences,  and  an  imposing  English  Club  edi- 
fice in  the  midst  of  large  and  attractive  grounds. 

The  morning  of  the  second  day  was  devoted 
to  incidental  things ;  in  the  afternoon  we  at- 
tended a  Chinese  theatre  which  was  similar  to 
the  one  we  had  seen  in  Hong-Kong,  only  actors, 
who  were  grotesque  acrobats,  now  took  the 
place  of  the  previous  ballet-dancers.  In  the 
evening  we  attended  a  fine  concert  in  the  Pub- 
lic Gardens.  The  music  was  furnished  by  the 
Cameron  Guards  in  Highland  costume.  It  was  a 
fine  opportunity  to  see  the  English  contingent,  and 
from  the  Astor  House  across  the  way  came  ladies 
in  evening  dress ;  hats  and  wraps  were  also  in 
evidence;  and,  in  the  rear,  were  files  of  soldiers 
of  various  nations  from  the  difi'erent  concessions. 

■>- 

Shanhaikwan,  May  29th:  The  following 
morning,  we  left  for  Shanhaikwan ;  we  arrived  in 
the  evening,  and  went  to  a  very  comfortable  rail- 
way hotel.  The  following  morning,  we  made  an 
excursion  to  the  mountains  and  caught  a  glimpse 
of  the  Great  Wall  a  long  distance  off;  in  one 
direction  a  valley ;  beyond  that,  hills ;  then 
mountains  extending  tier  after  tier,  until  the 
last  faded  away  in  the  distant  horizon.     This 


ft; 


SHANHAIKWAN  303 

wall  is  a  continuation  of  the  one  visited  in  Peking, 
and  formerly  ended  at  the  sea-line  in  Shan- 
haikwan,  but  the  ravages  of  time  and  the  de- 
vastation of  man  have  carried  away  much  of  it. 

We  had  left  our  chairs  at  a  small  place,  said 
to  be  a  Taoist  temple,  and  had  also  passed  the 
ruins  of  another  temple,  showing  the  isolated 
places  selected  by  the  early  fathers  for  their 
centres  of  worship.  After  roaming  about,  we 
returned  to  the  first  temple,  and  around  an 
improvised  table,  in  plain  view  of  the  altar,  we 
were  served  with  a  substantial  luncheon  brought 
from  the  hotel.  Our  return  trip  was  over  a  dif- 
ferent route,  in  order  to  secure  a  finer  view  of 
the  Wall,  some  ruined  towers,  and  parapets. 

Later,  we  passed  through  two  imposing  gate- 
ways, and  noted  the  great  thickness  of  the  Wall 
which,  broken  off,  showed  a  brick  exterior  filled 
with  earth.  The  way  through  the  native  town 
assured  us  of  the  usual  Chinese  life  and  bazars, 
Shanhaikwan  having  only  a  small  European 
population.  It  was  the  scene  of  much  activity 
during  the  Boxer  Rebellion,  and  the  regiments 
of  several  nations  had  posts  or  forts  there,  the 
English  and  Japanese  even  now  continuing 
to  maintain  a  small  bodyguard.  In  the  after- 
noon we  took  a  ride  in  a  diminutive  horse-car 
on  a  narrow-gauge  road  to  the  sea,  four  miles 
distant,  where  we  found  a  sandy  beach  and  bath- 
houses.   This  is  a  favorite  resort  for  the  Summer 


304    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

guests  of  the  Shanhaikwan  Hotel.  Peitaho, 
which  is  situated  back  of  Shanhaikwan  in  the 
mountains,  has  a  large  Summer  colony  from  Pe- 
king and  Tientsin,  many  of  whom  own  their 
homes.  At  Shanhaikwan  we  had  the  pleasure 
of  meeting  Judge  and  Mrs.  Charles  Smith  of 
Manila,  and  listened  to  many  interesting  expe- 
riences connected  with  life  in  the  Philippines. 
Shanhaikwan  is  on  the  border  between  China 
and  Manchuria. 

We  had  been  in  Manchuria  all  day  with  an 
uninteresting  landscape  as  regards  variety,  — 
plains,  a  few  trees,  and  a  little  verdure  stretched 
far  away.  Much  of  the  land,  however,  was  tilled, 
it  being  Springtime  in  this  far-away  country; 
and  an  occasional  group  of  trees  indicated  what 
time  and  irrigation  may  accomplish  in  the  way 
of  agricultural  results.  At  every  station  armed 
soldiers  were  on  guard.  Various  theories  were 
advanced  to  account  for  this ;  one  said  that 
brigands  infested  the  country;  another  claimed 
that  there  might  be  danger  of  destruction  to 
the  track,  this  being  the  Southern  Japanese- 
Manchurian  Railway,  which  was  running 
through  an  alien  country.  The  right  to  this  road 
and  a  strip  of  land  each  side  of  the  track  was 
secured  by  Japan  either  by  treaty  or  by  lease  from 
China  at  the  close  of  the  Russian-Japanese  war. 
Chan  Chow  was  the  largest  station  passed.  Hsin 
Min   was  the  scene   of  a   conflict   between   the 


OUR  ARRIVAL   IN   MUKDEN      305 

Russians  and  Japanese,  and  at  the  present  time 
soldiers  are  still  stationed  there. 

Mukden,  May  SOth:  Our  next  point  to  be 
visited  was  Mukden.  The  trip  was  not  in  our 
original  itinerary,  and  we  had  some  difficulty  in 
securing  it,  as  the  Director  felt  that  we  could  not 
obtain  good  hotel  accommodations.  We  all, 
however,  promised  to  accept  uncomplainingly 
any  condition  which  the  situation  offered.  Never- 
theless, we  felt  a  little  anxious  about  the  result,  as 
we  were  the  first  tourist  party  to  invade  Mukden, 
the  capital  of  Manchuria,  and  also  the  old  capital 
when  it  was  an  independent  country  and  not,  as 
now,  a  province. 

At  the  King- jo  Hotel,  under  Japanese  manage- 
ment, we  found  six  rooms  furnished  in  supposed 
European  style ;  these  opened  on  upper  and 
lower  galleries  and  were  comfortable.  They 
really  formed  an  annex  in  order  to  entice  stray 
European  guests.  The  entire  household  was 
Japanese,  without  any  knowledge  of  the  English 
language,  so  pantomime  became  our  means  of 
communication,  and  there  were  many  amusing 
mistakes  made  on  both  sides.  The  utmost  good- 
humor  prevailed,  however,  and  the  atmosphere 
of  the  place  was  altogether  pleasant. 

The  morning  following  our  arrival,  we  rode 
in  jinrikishas  to  the  tomb  of  a  Ming  emperor. 
There  are  two  of  these  tombs  located  at  Mukden. 


306    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

We  visited  only  one ;  it  is  four  miles  from  the  city, 
and  beautifully  located  in  a  parklike  enclosure. 
We  entered  at  the  side,  through  a  long  avenue  of 
trees,  the  front  entrance  never  being  opened; 
there  were  two  tall  columns  with  grotesque 
figures  of  animals  on  top;  then  a  lion  on  each 
side,  seated  on  heavy  pedestals.  A  three-arched 
pailow  had  a  very  massive  carved  cornice  and 
entablature ;  on  the  cornice  and  on  each  division 
of  the  arch  were  seated  immense  carved  lions; 
similar  ones  were  also  on  the  reverse  side  of  the 
arch  and  on  the  ends,  making  ten  in  all,  and 
adding  to  the  impressiveness  of  the  whole. 

We  now  entered  the  sacred  avenue,  lined  on 
each  side  with  ten  large  stone  animals.  The 
path  was  much  shorter  than  that  visited  in 
Nankow,  and  the  carving  of  the  animals  was  less 
perfect.  The  avenue  ended  with  a  gateway  of 
three  arches,  which  we  did  not  pass  through,  but 
which  contained  a  memorial  tablet  mounted  on 
a  huge  tortoise;  beyond  this  there  was  a  long 
oblong  building  with  an  effective  terrace  roof; 
doors  were  placed  in  each  corner  of  the  walled 
enclosure.  At  the  back  rose  an  immense  mound 
which  covers  the  tomb.  From  a  high  tower 
overlooking  the  mound,  we  had  a  view  of  the 
entire  enclosure. 

The  palace  at  Mukden  is  a  large,  imposing 
pile,  built  in  1631.  There  are  many  different 
buildings,  all  in  the  peculiar  Chinese  style  with 


41 


STRANGE   SCENES   IN   MUKDEN    307 

upturned  eaves;  these  were  barricaded  while 
renovation  was  going  on,  and  we  could  obtain 
glimpses  of  the  interior  only  through  cracks  in 
the  wall.  The  rooms  were  large  and  contained 
some  wall  decoration,  while  the  whole  effect  was 
fine,  in  spite  of  all  the  inconveniences  experienced 
in  trying  to  see  them;  debris  was  everywhere. 
In  one  building  the  doors  and  windows  were 
sealed  with  paper  strips  placed  over  them ;  this 
was  the  receptacle  for  valuable  jewels  and  fine 
brocaded  robes  of  royalty.  We  were  first  re- 
fused admission,  but,  on  our  return  from  the 
rounds  of  the  palace,  by  some  magical  process 
(probably  a  large  fee),  a  door  was  opened,  and 
we  entered  and  saw  a  wonderful  display  of  rich 
gems,  somewhat  barbaric  in  style,  fine  swords, 
daggers,  robes,  and  other  paraphernalia. 

The  bazars  in  Mukden  were  not  unlike  those 
throughout  China  in  their  arrangement,  but  con- 
taining not  nearly  so  attractive  a  display  of  goods. 
The  population  seemed  mixed,  judging  from 
the  type  of  faces  and  from  the  head-dress  of  the 
women,  some  of  them  having  the  plain,  smooth 
arrangement  of  the  hair,  while  others  followed 
the  peculiar  Manchu  style.  Mukden  owes  its 
present  celebrity  to,  the  Russian- Japanese  war, 
as  several  battles  were  fought  around  it. 

-♦- 

June  1st:  The  following  day,  we  took  our 
departure  for  Niuchwang.     We  had    been  told 


308    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

that  our  route  would  be  over  historic  battle- 
grounds, and  we  soon  realized  this,  for,  after 
leaving  Mukden,  we  saw  the  monument  erected 
by  the  Japanese  Government  as  a  memorial  to 
the  memory  of  the  Japanese  soldiers  who  fell  in 
a  desperate  engagement,  March  13th,  1905. 
This  w^as  the  battle  of  Shio-ho,  one  of  the  worst 
of  the  war.  General  Kuropatkin  headed  the 
Russians,  while  Generals  Kuroki  and  Nogi  were 
on  the  Japanese  side.  The  Russians  were  van- 
quished and  were  forced  to  retreat  to  Karpan. 
Later  w^e  came  to  a  large  place,  formerly  a 
Russian  city,  Lara-yang,  which  was  taken  by 
the  Japanese,  and  now  seems  in  a  prosperous 
condition.  A  large  rocky  mountain,  passed 
later  on,  was  the  scene  of  a  desperate  attempt 
of  the  Japanese  to  dislodge  the  Russians,  and 
here  eight  thousand  of  the  former  lost  their  lives. 
At  one  point  a  tall  granite  monument  was  raised 
to  the  memory  of  ten  thousand  Japanese  soldiers, 
all  of  which  gave  us  a  realizing  sense  of  the 
horrors  of  the  conflict.  Later,  these  warlike 
reminders  ceased,  and  the  landscape  showed 
broad,  well-cultivated  fields;  indeed,  the  Man- 
churia of  to-day,  as  far  as  we  could  determine, 
seems  a  fertile  plain ;  and  while  a  coarser  cereal 
is  now  raised,  it  seemed  possible  that  this  might 
become  a  great  wheat-producing  land  with  proper 
cultivation. 


NIUCHWANG  309 

NiucHWANG :  When  near  Niuchwang,  we  came 
to  the  city  of  Shai-seng,  and  saw  the  long  Hnes 
of  Russian  barracks  which  are  now  occupied  by 
the  Japanese.  We  reached  our  destination  late  in 
the  evening,  and  had  a  jinrikisha  ride  of  over  an 
hour  before  turning  to  the  Central  Hotel,  which 
had  been  greatly  damaged  by  fire,  but  which  we 
persuaded  our  Director  to  select  for  us.  Our 
surroundings  were  not  luxurious,  but  a  fairly 
good  dinner  awaited  us. 

In  the  morning  we  had  a  delightful  surprise. 
A  call  of  the  Director  at  the  EngHsh  Club  the 
evening  previous  had  resulted  in  an  invitation 
extended  to  the  entire  party  to  breakfast  at  the 
residence  of  Mr.  Henry  A.  Bush,  of  Bush 
Brothers,  a  noted  firm  in  the  East.  Never  was 
an  invitation  more  gladly  accepted.  The  mistress 
of  the  household  was  absent,  but  Mr.  Bush, 
aided  by  friends,  did  the  honors  to  perfection. 
It  was  a  lovely  home  and  full  of  good  cheer. 
Two  hours  later  we  were  sent  to  the  station  in 
carriages,  and  escorted  to  a  junction,  nine  miles 
away,  by  a  relative  of  the  family.  We  learned 
afterward  that  this  courtesy  was  often  extended 
to  tourists  since  the  burning  of  the  hotel.  I  am 
happy  to  state  that  both  at  Mukden  and  Niu- 
chwang modern  hotels  will  be  opened  at  an 
early  date,  both  being  named  the  Astor  House, 
a  favorite  appellation  all  through  the  East. 


310    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

Dalny:  The  ride  to  Dalny  (the  Japanese 
wish  it  called  Darien)  ended  at  nine  in  the  even- 
ing; the  scenery  en  route  was  not  unlike  that  of 
the  day  previous,  except  that  we  observed  a 
higher  degree  of  cultivation,  and  the  plains  were 
more  extended,  terminating  in  the  distance  in 
low  ranges  of  hills.  We  found  Dalny  modern  in 
appearance,  save  in  a  few  large  buildings  which 
showed  their  early  origin ;  the  Russians  had 
planned  the  place  as  a  model  city  before  the  war, 
which  in  time  might  become  a  flourishing  ad- 
junct to  Port  Arthur.  The  city  was  evacuated 
before  the  siege  of  Port  Arthur,  the  Russians 
concentrating  all  their  strength  at  the  latter 
point.  Dalny  is  a  port  of  some  importance,  but 
we  were  told  there  was  little  local  business  to 
speak  of.  Tourists  are  beginning  to  go  there, 
as  it  is  a  convenient  point  to  remain  if  one  wishes 
to  visit  Port  Arthur,  which  is  a  long  day's 
excursion,  leaving  early  in  the  morning  and 
returning  on  an  evening  train.  This  has,  here- 
tofore, been  the  customary  plan  of  procedure, 
owing  to  superior  hotel  facilities  at  Dalny;  but 
a  new  hotel  was  nearly  completed  at  Port  Arthur 
when  we  were  there. 

Port  Arthur,  June  4th:  We  left  early  for  a 
hard  day's  excursion  to  Port  Arthur.  The  stand- 
point of  the  tourist  is  that  of  interest  and  curi- 
osity to  see  the  port  which  was  so  recently  the 


PORT  ARTHUR.  311 

scene  of  such  tragic  events.  With  mihtary 
knowledge,  the  interest  would  be  more  in  ob- 
serving the  strategic  position  and  the  methods 
of  defence.  Before  speaking  of  the  incidents 
of  the  day,  a  brief  outline  of  Port  Arthur  will  be 
given  as  a  key  to  the  situation.  A  view  of  the 
place  from  the  sea  is  disappointing,  as  the  hills 
that  circle  around  the  bay  are  bare  and  destitute 
of  vegetation  and  foliage.  The  foothills  of  a  long 
mountain  range  divide  the  peninsula  of  Liao- 
tung  (the  circle  of  the  hills  extending  over  ten 
miles) ;  several  bays  also  indent  the  shore. 
Viewed  from  the  land  side,  the  town  and  port 
lie  in  an  amphitheatre,  hidden  from  the  sea  by 
Golden  Hill  on  one  side  and  by  the  Tiger's  Tail 
Peninsula  on  the  other.  This  strong  position  was 
fortified  by  the  Russians  in  the  newest  way. 

The  defence  works  are  divided  into  coast  and 
inland  groups.  The  coast  section  is  the  Golden 
Hill  position,  which  stands  at  the  left  side  of  the 
entrance  to  the  harbor  and  commands  the  outer 
bay.  From  this  hill,  toward  the  sea  and  to  the 
north,  making  a  semicircle,  the  line  of  fortifica- 
tions extends  three  miles,  including  many  per- 
manent works;  the  first  of  these  is  called  the 
Silver  Hill  group, .  and  there  are  several  lines 
lying  east  and  north  of  this.  That  group  of 
forts  on  the  left  side  is  named  the  Tiger's  Tail 
Peninsula,  and  is  as  strong  as  Golden  Hill 
on  the  opposite  side.     The  sea   just  outside  of 


sn    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

Tiger's  Tail  was  the  place  where  the  Japanese 
fleet  attacked  the  Russian  squadron  at  anchor. 
Because  of  the  vast  strength  of  each  of 
these  two  opposite  points,  and  their  close 
communication  and  support,  they  have  been 
considered  the  strongest  fortresses  ever  yet 
invested. 

The  city  of  Port  Arthur  is  divided  by  Monu- 
ment Hill  into  two  parts.  Old  or  East  Town,  and 
New  or  West  Town.  The  old  town  is  the  real 
Port  Arthur;  the  new^  one  was  formerly  a 
Chinese  hamlet,  called  Tai-yo-ko,  —  the  Russians 
building  this  section  after  its  occupation.  The 
old  is  a  business  town ;  the  new  an  official  town. 
Here  we  have  the  contrast  of  a  European  centre 
on  one  side  with  a  Chinese  on  the  other.  In  the 
old  town  are  situated  the  Port  Admiralty,  Navy 
Yard,  Army  Hospital,  Red  Cross  Hospital, 
Museum,  and  Fortress  Office,  formerly  General 
Stoessel's  house.  In  the  new  town  are  the 
Governor  General's  office  and  some  civil  ad- 
ministration buildings,  a  park,  and  numberless 
residences. 

On  our  arrival  at  Port  Arthur,  we  took  car- 
riages, and,  after  securing  a  permit,  went  to  the 
Siege  Museum,  which  is  filled  with  the  trophies 
of  war,  and  models  of  some  of  the  forts  that  were 
taken ;  we  examined  these  carefully  in  order  the 
better  to  understand  the  methods  employed  by 
the  Japanese  in  storming  fortifications ;    tunnel- 


THE   SIEGE   MUSEUM  313 

ling  was  the  way  in  which  the  North  Fort  was 
taken.  The  Siege  Museum  was  interesting  from 
another  point,  as  it  had  been  the  mess- house  of 
the  Russian  officers  of  the  garrison,  and  the 
walls  were  covered  with  views  of  the  Crimean 
and  other  wars ;  there  was  also  a  large  collection 
of  pictures  of  Russian  generals.  . 

We  then  had  a  long  drive  to  Monument  Hill, 
which  is  situated  between  the  old  and  the  new 
town  near  the  railway  station.  It  is  a  high  point, 
commanding  the  harbor  and  the  forts,  and  one 
can  obtain  a  bird's-eye  view  of  Port  Arthur  from 
its  top.  On  account  of  its  advantageous  position, 
General  Nogi  and  Admiral  Togo  chose  the  hill 
for  the  mausoleum  and  monument  which  are 
built  in  memory  of  those  who  lost  their  lives. 
There  are  two  peaks ;  the  mausoleum  is  situated 
on  one,  the  monument  on  the  other.  The 
monument,  two  hundred  feet  high,  was  in 
process  of  construction  when  we  saw  it;  stones 
raised  from  the  sunken  ships  formed  the  principal 
material  in  building  it.  On  the  opposite  peak, 
with  a  torii  in  front,  as  an  indication  of  the  Shinto 
faith,  is  the  mausoleum,  where  the  remains  of 
22,183  officers  and  soldiers  have  been  buried 
with  formal  cerepionies.  It  is  impossible  to 
convey  an  idea  of  the  impressiveness  of  the 
scene  as  we  stood  on  this  hill,  gazing  out  on  a 
landscape  significant  of  war  and  carnage  on 
every  side. 


314    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

After  luncheon  at  the  almost  completed  new 
hotel,  we  had  the  roughest  ride  I  have  ever 
taken  —  a  long  distance  to  the  outskirts  in  order 
to  view  some  of  the  ruined  forts  —  first,  to  East 
Keekwan,  the  name  of  a  group  of  defence 
works.  The  main  fort  here  was  so  well  de- 
fended that  it  was  considered  unassailable  from 
any  direction ;  it  was  also  very  strongly  protected. 
The  assault  began  on  the  18th  of  August ;  there 
was  very  stubborn  resistance,  and  many  attacks 
were  necessary  before  General  Stoessel,  on 
January  1st,  proposed  to  surrender.  As  the 
Russians  retreated,  however,  they  blew  the  fort 
up  with  dynamite.  A  scene  of  desolation  greeted 
us  in  consequence,  and  it  was  almost  impossible 
to  walk  across  the  debris. 

We  next  visited  another  prominent  work 
belonging  to  this  group,  called  North  Fort,  the 
one  we  had  studied  at  the  Museum  in  the  morn- 
ing, with  its  intricate  system  of  tunnels.  These 
latter  represented  two  shafts,  three  feet  high  and 
two  feet  wide,  each  forty  feet  long  with  four 
trenches ;  eight  mines  had  been  laid,  and  these 
were  exploded  on  the  18th  of  December,  blowing 
away  the  rampart  in  the  northeast  and  seriously 
damaging  the  interior.  A  desperate  resistance 
followed,  but  the  Russians  finally  retreated, 
destroying  a  part  of  the  fort  before  they  left.  We 
also  saw  other  defences,  but  had  no  time  to  study 
them,  as  a  long  rough  drive  ensued,  in  order  to 


■^ 


THE   KEY   TO   PORT   ARTHUR   315 

reach    203- Metre    Hill,   the    scene    of    the    last 
engagement. 

203- Metre  Hill  is  the  highest  eminence  of  the 
whole  fortified  line,  about  two  and  one-half 
miles  from  the  new  town.  It  commands  the 
whole  western  harbor,  and  most  of  the  eastern, 
and  from  the  top  can  be  seen  all  the  fortified 
positions,  including  camps  and  trenches.  The 
occupation  of  this  hill  was  the  death-blow  to  the 
Russians,  and  it  has  been  called  the  key  to  Port 
Arthur.  It  was  very  strongly  fortified,  and  the 
work  of  occupation  was  a  fearful  task,  involving 
a  great  loss  of  life.  Early  in  September  the 
attack  began,  and  it  was  taken  early  in  Decem- 
ber; the  Japanese  loss  in  dead  and  wounded 
was  7578,  and  after  the  capitulation  of  Port 
Arthur,  the  Russian  remains  were  collected  and 
buried  to  the  number  of  5400 ;  the  real  count 
was  supposed  to  be  more  than  7000.  The 
possession  of  this  hill  by  the  Japanese  sounded 
the  death-knell  of  the  Russian  fleet,  which  was 
practically  wiped  out  of  existence  on  the  9th  of 
December.  We  regretted  not  being  able  to  visit 
Port  Arthur  the  following  week,  when  a  most 
interesting  occasion  was  to  occur, —  the  dedi- 
cation of  the  fine  monument  erected  by  the 
Japanese  Government  to  the  memory  of  the 
Russian  soldiers  who  are  buried  there.  I  saw 
photographs  of  the  monument,  but  could  not 
procure  one,  as  they  were  not  then  for  sale.    The 

42 


316    TRAVELS   IN  THE   FAR  EAST 

moral  sii^rnificance  of  this  event  was  verv  ofi'eat, 
as  the  Russians,  officially  and  non-offieially,  ac- 
cepted the  ^ift  with  i>;ratefnl  ap|)reciation. 

A  friend  sent  nie  an  account  of  the  exercises 
at  Port  Arthur  which  occurred  on  June  10th. 
The  Russian  Archbishop  and  a  number  of  high 
mihtary  officials  came  from  Russia,  and  General 
Nogi  and  other  Japanese  officials  from  Japan. 
There  were  formal  exercises  of  a  varied  kind. 
The  chief  feature  was  the  address  delivered 
by  the  Archbishop.  He  opened  by  saying 
"  that  only  by  the  brave  can  the  brave  be 
appreciated.  In  this  world  of  ours  war  seems 
to  be  unavoidable;  at  the  same  time  it  evokes 
and  gives  occasion  for  expressing  some  of  the 
finest  feelings  of  which  human  nature  is  capable. 
The  many  thousands  of  men  who  lie  sleeping 
under  the  monument  just  unveiled  were  heroes 
who  loyally  and  bravely  laid  down  their  lives 
in  their  country's  cause.  Such  men  are  best 
appreciated  by  men  of  their  own  stamp;  and 
the  noble  action  of  the  Japanese  in  erecting  this 
monument  to  the  memory  of  their  fallen  foes 
showed  that  the  best  feelings  of  which  human 
nature  is  capable  rise  superior  even  to  the  most 
tragic  incidents  of  life.  In  performing  this 
beautiful  deed,  the  Japanese  had  not  only 
shown  themselves  worthy  of  wearing  the  laurels 
which  they  had  won,  but  had  also  gained  a 
second   victory   even   more   prolonged   and   en- 


CHEMULPO  317 

during.  Amid  all  the  horrors  of  war,  humanity 
must  not  forget  the  opportunities  it  furnishes 
for  the  display  of  such  traits."  The  Tokio  and 
other  Japanese  papers  devoted  much  space  to 
accounts  of  the  ceremonies  and  festivities  con- 
nected with  the  unveiling  of  the  monument. 
Some  of  them  seemed  to  regard  it  as  an  emotional 
display,  and  others  found  it  impossible  to  read  the 
accounts  without  concluding  that  the  Japanese 
and  Russians  had  wellnigh,  if  not  altogether, 
laid  aside  their  feeling  of  mutual  hostility. 

An  English  gentleman  on  the  train  to  Dalny 
spoke  of  General  Stoessel's  surrender  in  very 
caustic  terms,  basing  his  position  on  information 
received  from  one  of  the  officers  on  the  General's 
staff.  It  occurred  to  me  that  the  officer  would  not 
be  likely  to  give  favorable  testimony,  as  there 
was  a  possibility  of  his  also  suffering  penalties  in 
Russia.  It  will  always  be  a  mooted  question 
whether  the  surrender  was  justified  by  the  con- 
dition of  affairs  at  Port  Arthur ;  certainly  it  was 
in  the  interest  of  humanity,  as  it  was  stated  on 
Japanese  authority  that  there  were  at  least 
twenty-five  thousand  sick  at  Port  Arthur. 

On  the  following  morning,  we  left  Dalny,  or 
Darien,  by  the  steamer  Santo  Maru,  for  Che- 
mulpo, the  port  of  Seoul,  Korea. 

Chemulpo,  Seoul,  June  7th:  Chemulpo  is 
an  open  port  and  has  quite  a  foreign  settlement; 


318    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

it  now  can  boast  of  wide  streets  and  some  shops, 
but  twenty  years  ago  it  was  nothing  more  than  a 
fishing  village.  The  Trans-Siberian  Railway  is 
the  only  means  of  connection  between  Chemulpo 
and  London,  twenty-one  days  being  required  for 
the  trip.  The  two  hours'  railway  ride  between 
Chemulpo  and  Seoul  affords  quite  diversified 
scenery. 

The  situation  of  Seoul  is  beautiful.  It  is  a 
walled  city,  the  entire  circumference  of  which  is 
twelve  miles,  and  in  this  wall  are  eight  arched 
gateways.  While  the  wall  itself  is  not  high,  it 
seems  to  cling  near  to  the  sides  of  the  foothills 
and  the  mountains.  These  mountains  are  quite 
bare  of  vegetation,  but  the  little  valleys  between 
the  hills  are  green,  rice  being  one  of  the  products 
cultivated. 

Korea  to  us  was  mostly  Seoul,  as  there  is  no 
provision  for  guests  at  present  in  the  mountains. 
We  met  a  gentleman  and  his  two  daughters  who 
were  going  to  the  mountains,  but  they  were  to  be 
entertained  by  a  missionary  family;  in  time 
this  condition  of  affairs  will  no  doubt  be  im- 
proved, as  it  is  in  Java. 

Korea  is  a  land  of  great  beauty.  The  inhab- 
itants are  lovers  of  nature,  as  is  shown  in  the 
names  they  give  to  their  mountains  and  valleys, 
such  as  The  Moimtain  Fronting  the  Moon, 
The  Mountain  Facing  the  Sun,  The  Valley  of 
Cool  Shade,  The  Tranquil  Sea,  and  The  Hill  of 


CO 


^ 

^ 


KOREAN   DRESS  319 

White  Clouds.  The  descriptions  of  the  moun- 
tains in  the  extreme  North  are  more  peculiar  still : 
The  Peak  of  the  Thousand  Buddhas,  The  Cloud 
Touchers,  and  the  like. 

The  people  of  Korea,  as  they  are  viewed  on 
the  streets,  seem  to  be  contented,  with  apparently 
a  larger  leisure  class  than  we  had  seen  in  any 
previous  city.  This  was  emphasized  by  the  dress 
of  the  men,  consisting  of  a  long  white  costume 
open  in  front,  made  of  a  kind  of  grass  lawn ;  a 
pair  of  loose  trousers,  something  like  the  Turkish 
trousers,  is  worn  beneath  this.  Officials,  minis- 
ters, and  noblemen  dress  elegantly,  their  costumes 
being  made  from  the  finest  silk  lawn,  and  they 
wear  silken  girdles. 

The  dress  of  middle-class  women  is  even  more 
peculiar  than  that  of  the  men.  The  upper 
garment  is  very  short,  made  of  white  or  green 
lawn  or  calico ;  a  few  inches  below  this  is  a  pet- 
ticoat, touching  the  ground ;  between  these  two 
garments  there  is  nothing  but  the  bare  skin.  It 
is  not  an  agreeable  spectacle.  When  on  the 
street,  they  wear  what  is  called  the  chang-ot;  it 
consists  of  a  long  white  or  green  cloak,  with 
green  cuft's  and  collar,  cut  like  a  sack.  The  neck 
of  this  garment,  is  put  over  the  head,  and  the 
long  white  sleeves  fall  from  the  ears  and  are 
seen  flapping  in  the  wind. 

The  single  or  married  man  may  be  known  by 
the  style  of  his  hair.     The  single  man  wears  a 


320    TRAVELS   IN  THE   FAR  EAST 

cue,  but  when  married  it  is  done  up  in  a  twist 
and  kept  in  place  by  a  woven  horsehair  band. 
We  saw  a  few  who  had  cut  their  hair.  The 
women  dress  their  hair  rather  plainly  on  the 
sides,  and  do  it  low  on  their  necks  in  the  back. 

The  women  of  the  better  class  lead  very 
secluded  lives,  almost  like  the  Zenana ;  indeed, 
their  customs  seem  similar  to  those  in  India. 
The  children  up  to  a  certain  age  are  seen  in  a 
state  of  entire  nudity. 

The  girls  of  the  lower  class  are  sold  as  do- 
mestic slaves,  and  may  be  seen  running  beside 
the  chairs  of  their  mistresses.  They  look,  how- 
ever, as  though  they  were  kindly  treated. 

The  Seoul  scenes  at  night  are  most  peculiar. 
The  women  of  the  upper  class  are  allowed  to  take 
exercise  only  at  this  time.  Men  fojmerly  were 
excluded  from  the  streets  at  night,  but  now  are 
seen.  Some  one  has  compared  this  nocturnal  city 
graphically  with  the  old  idea  of  the  resurrection. 
Many  of  the  men  are  supported  by  the  labor  of 
the  women  of  their  household.  The  laundry  work 
of  a  family  in  Seoul  must  be  very  considerable  on 
account  of  the  number  of  white  garments  worn. 

A  Korean  lady  travelling  in  her  sedan  chair  is 
quite  an  imposing  spectacle.  The  chairs  are 
somewhat  heavier  than  those  we  had  previously 
seen. 

The  dress  of  the  dancing-girl  is  many-colored, 
worn  with  a  profusion  of  sashes  and  decorations. 


1^ 


SEOUL  SCENES  321 

The  headdress  is  about  three  times  as  high  as 
that  worn  by  a  Manchu  woman.  The  costume 
consists  of  a  white  flowing  under-robe,  and  over 
this  a  colored  silk  robe.  There  are  very  large 
sleeves  and  a  sash  worn  high  on  the  waist.  The 
robe  falls  apart  in  front  and  shows  loose  trousers. 
The  dancing-girl  and  the  singing-girl  correspond 
to  the  geisha  and  Maiko  of  Japan. 

Sight-seeing  in  Seoul  is  less  exhausting  than  in 
other  cities,  as  there  are  no  galleries,  museums,  or 
elaborate  tombs  to  be  described.  The  interest 
in  the  city  is  found  amongst  its  street  scenes  and 
in  the  peculiar  life  of  its  people. 

Seoul  spreads  out  over  a  plain,  which  extends 
to  the  mountains.  There  is  quite  a  variety 
of  scenery  included  within  its  area.  The  country 
near  by  is  extremely  picturesque,  quite  unlike 
the  outskirts  of  Peking.  There  are  small  villages 
and  pleasant  walks  and  drives  at  an  easy  distance 
from  the  city. 

The  bazars  are  placed  far  out  on  the  street, 
except  in  one  point  where  there  seems  to  be  only 
one  central  bazar. 

The  manufacture  of  brass  is  the  specialty  of 
Seoul;  all  the  ancient  forms  are  reproduced. 
Some  of  our  party  purchased  large  collections  of 
artistic  and  serviceable  articles. 

The  most  imposing  building  is  the  Temple  of 
Heaven.  It  is  bare,  compared  with  the  one  at 
Peking,  but  it  has  some  features  that  are  similar 


322    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

and  is  made  of  mar})le.  It  is,  however,  a  com- 
hination  of  tlie  two  temples  seen  in  Peking', 
opciiiii^  at  the  side,  and  tiaviii<i;  an  open  roof  over 
the  centre;  adjoim'ng  it  there  is  a  three-story 
pagoda,  much  like  a  pavihon  in  many  respects. 

The  ancient  tomb  of  the  old  Korean  noblemen 
interested  us.  It  is  of  marble,  with  a  peculiar 
carving  on  top.  At  the  base  is  an  immense 
tortoise. 

The  Buddhist  temple  was  also  visited.  This 
had  an  imposing  entrance  approached  by  white 
marble  steps.  It  was  spacious,  but  architecturally 
far  inferior  to  those  we  had  seen  elsewhere.  The 
upturned  roof  was  interesting. 

The  marble  pagoda,  rising  seven  stories  above 
the  base,  was  really  very  beautiful.  It  had  a 
special  small  enclosure  about  it,  filled  with  flow- 
ers. This  enclosure  was  in  a  large  park,  which 
contained  an  artistic  pavilion,  evidently  for  the 
convenience  of  people  who  wished  to  view  the 
pagoda. 

There  are  said  to  be  eighteen  palaces  in  Seoul. 
Some  of  these  at  present  are  not  in  use.  We 
passed  the  new  marble  palace  where  the  Emperor 
was  staying.  Then  we  went  on  to  the  large  old 
palace  which  has  been  vacant  ever  since  the 
assassination  of  the  Queen.  There  were  impos- 
ing entrance  gates  here,  and  many  preliminary 
buildings  before  we  reached  the  most  important 
ones.    The  Audience  Hall  is  very  spacious  and 


An  old  tomb  of  a  high  official 


BUILDINGS   IN   SEOUL  323 

very  well  proportioned.  The  approach  to  it  is 
fine,  consisting  of  many  marble  seats  where  the 
high  officials  sat  when  his  Majesty  appeared. 
From  the  exterior  the  Audience  Hall  seems  to 
have  two  stories,  as  there  are  two  of  the  peculiar 
Chinese  roofs,  but  inside  it  forms  one  very  high 
room.  The  Audience  Hall  as  a  building  is  a 
great  decorative  feature  in  the  palace  grounds. 
There  is  one  other  large  room  in  it  called,  I 
believe,  the  Hall  of  Congratulation. 

We  passed  on  to  the  palace  of  the  assassinated 
Queen.  This  has  now  been  torn  down  by  order 
of  the  Resident  General,  on  account  of  its  un- 
pleasant association  both  to  the  Koreans  and  to 
the  Japanese.  It  originally  covered  a  good  deal 
of  ground  and  must  have  been  spacious.  The 
grounds  are  very  large  and  interesting,  contain- 
ing many  lovely  trees.  One  building  therein  was 
raised  like  an  immense  pavilion  and  surrounded 
by  a  miniature  lake,  very  pleasing  with  its  setting 
of  green  and  at  times  covered  with  water-lilies. 

Quite  a  pretentious  building,  with  its  wide 
projecting  Chinese  eaves  open  on  all  sides  and 
showing  columns,  was  the  one  which  contained 
the  monument  erected  in  honor  of  the  Emperor's 
jubilee. 

A  picturesque  feature  of  the  city  consists  of 
the  gates  of  the  Wall.  We  took  drives  through 
these  to  different  points  near  by.  Particularly 
noticeable  is  the  Western  Gate,  or  Gate  of  Gen- 

43 


324    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

eral  Righteousness.  This  is  massive,  showing 
the  thickness  of  the  wall,  and  the  high  roof  over 
the  arch  is  very  effective. 

All  the  hills  around  Korea  are  considered 
sacred  and  are  dedicated  to  burial  purposes. 
In  one  alone,  seventy-five  thousand  persons  are 
placed.  The  drive  presents  very  diversified 
scenery.  As  we  approached  the  tomb  of  the 
Queen,  considerable  formality  was  required.  It 
was  necessary  to  possess  a  permit,  soldiers  being 
stationed  outside  the  grounds.  The  hill  was 
very  broad  and  quite  steep  at  places,  and  on 
top  the  large  tomb  was  composed  of  marble. 
We  could  have  visited  several  others,  but  pre- 
ferred to  return  home  by  the  way  of  an  old  Bud- 
dhist monastery,  a  great  part  of  the  road  being 
lined  with  trees  on  either  side.  We  found  the 
monastery  rather  dismantled  and  but  few^  monks 
in  attendance.  They  have  to  endure  many  pri- 
vations, and  their  surroundings  looked  extremely 
bare. 

After  this  excursion,  we  ended  the  day  by 
attending  the  Korean  Theatre.  The  ride  there 
was  interesting,  as  we  saw  all  the  particular 
evening  sights  I  have  described.  The  arrange- 
ment of  the  room  was  very  simple;  we  sat  in 
elevated  boxes  at  the  sides.  About  the  stage 
all  the  details  were  primitive.  The  action  of  the 
play  was  poor,  but  the  enthusiasm  of  the  audi- 
ence was  great.    We  remained  but  a  short  time. 


KOREAN   REFORMS  325 

In  the  matter  of  education  the  women  of  the 
higher  class  are  somewhat  above  the  average, 
but  those  of  the  middle  and  lower  classes  are 
entirely  ignorant.  Education  is  one  of  the  many 
recent  reforms  instituted ;  the  old  order  of  things 
is  rapidly  being  changed.  Electricity  has  been 
introduced,  electric  trams  extend  some  distances 
even  into  the  country,  and  there  is  a  good  postal 
service.  A  gentleman  who  had  been  a  resident 
for  some  fifteen  years  is  my  authority  for  stating 
that  in  his  opinion  the  mistake  the  Japanese 
were  making  in  their  protectorate  was  in  push- 
ing reforms  too  rapidly.  The  Koreans  are  slow 
in  their  response  to  foreign  and  western  ideas. 

The  deposed  King  seems  to  be  of  a  peculiar 
type.  He  is  described  as  having  a  weakness  for 
intrigue,  his  early  education  having  been  re- 
ceived under  conditions  that  foster  such  quali- 
ties. He  was  married  at  thirteen  years  of  age 
to  the  late  Queen ;  she  was  said  to  be  unusually 
gifted,  and  an  attractive  woman,  even  though 
unscrupulous  and  at  times  cruel. 

There  are  many  opinions  regarding  the  im- 
mediate outcome  of  Japan's  protectorate  over 
Korea.  Those  who  have  faith  in  the  integrity  of 
Marquis  Ito  believfe  in  good  results ;  others  fear 
that  the  invasion  of  a  large  number  of  Japanese 
having  business  interests  will  rather  overshadow 
the  Koreans,  who  are  indolent  and  inclined  to 
take  their  ease.     On  this  subject  there  can  be 


326    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR   EAST 

only  conjecture;  time  will  decide.  An  interest- 
ing book,  'Tn  Korea  with  Marquis  Ito,"  which 
has  been  published  during  the  year,  deals  with 
this  question  fully ;  George  Trumbull  Ladd  is 
the  author. 

Looking  backward,  we  find  that  the  kings  of 
Korea  were  the  vassals  of  China  for  a  long 
period,  but  as  one  of  the  re-^ults  of  the  Chinese- 
Japanese  war,  there  was  a  complete  renuncia- 
tion of  the  authority  of  the  Emperor  of  China. 
Hence  it  seems  strange  that  at  the  close  of  the 
Russian- Japanese  war  another  important  change 
and  crisis  should  have  come  to  Korea. 

From  Seoul,  Korea,  to  Yokohama  :  We  left 
Seoul  at  eight  on  the  morning  of  June  9th  for 
Fusan,  and  the  railway  journey,  an  all-day  trip, 
was  a  fatiguing  one,  owing  to  the  dust ;  but  we 
had  glimpses  of  mountain  scenery  and  plains. 
Fusan  was  simply  a  point  of  departure  for  Japan. 
We  took  our  steamer,  Satsuma-maru,  at  six  that 
evening  for  the  night  only,  as  we  were  due  at 
Shimonoseki  early  the  next  morning.  The  ap- 
proach here  was  through  the  straits,  and  was 
unlike  any  previous  view,  —  a  wide  entrance  be- 
tween two  high  promontories,  with  mountains 
on  either  side. 

Shimonoseki  is  quite  an  important  point  com- 
mercially, but  our  stay  was,  as  I  say,  one  of  con- 
venience only,  since  we  took  the  train  at  9.30  for 


FROM  SEOUL  TO   YOKOHAMA    327 

Miyajima  and  the  Sacred  Island.  This  is  con- 
sidered the  finest  railway  trip  in  Japan  as  regards 
scenery,  and  our  exclamations  of  delight  were 
many,  for  there  were  mountains  covered  with 
verdure  and  rice-fields,  and  from  time  to  time 
glimpses  of  the  famed  Inland  Sea.  We  had  long 
anticipated  this  visit  to  the  Sacred  Island ;  we 
knew  Miyajima  had  a  population  of  three  thou- 
sand, and  was  a  fishing  village,  aside  from  the 
great  interest  which  attaches  to  the  temples; 
that  the  island  rose  eighteen  hundred  feet  above 
the  sea  and  was  rocky,  although  covered  with 
heavy  foliage;  but  I  was  unprepared  for  the 
unique  charm  that  awaited  us. 

The  approach  to  Miyajima,  as  we  crossed  the 
lake,  gave  us  a  fine  first  impression,  —  the  great 
torii  standing  boldly  forth  from  its  watery  base ; 
the  stone  lanterns  in  the  foreground ;  the  temple 
seen  dimly  through  the  green ;  and  the  thickly 
wooded  hills  in  the  background  all  added  greatly 
to  the  landscape.  At  our  right,  on  an  eminence, 
was  situated  the  Mikado  Hotel,  which  was  to 
shelter  us,  and  which  we  later  found  to  be  an 
ideal  abiding-place. 

We  proceeded  at  once  to  the  great  temple, 
which,  with  its  corridors  and  galleries,  six  hun- 
dred feet  long,  represented  something  distinc- 
tively unique.  One  line  of  galleries  extends  out 
into  the  water  at  high  tide,  and  stretches  out 
like  so  many  arms  in  various  directions ;   a  new 


3^28    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR   EAST 

series  is  being  constructed.  All  of  these  intricate 
passages  centre  in  the  great  temple,  large  and 
finely  proportioned,  but,  like  all  Shinto  buildings, 
comparatively  simple  as  regards  adornment.  As 
we  approached,  we  were  confronted  by  at  least 
twenty-five  priests  and  ten  dancing-girls,  who 
were  grouped  together  for  a  photograph ;  the 
priests'  robes  and  the  many-colored  dresses  of 
the  girls  produced  a  striking  effect,  as  they  sat 
on  a  platform  in  front  of  the  temple.  Later  the 
girls  went  through  several  of  the  so-called  ''holy 
dances";  we  were  not  permitted  to  enter  the 
temple. 

Passing  through  a  long  corridor,  we  next 
ascended  a  hill  and  visited  the  unique  Temple 
of  a  Thousand  Mats.  This  is  grim  with  age 
but  of  immense  proportions,  and  having  many 
rows  of  columns,  covered  from  base  to  capital 
with  small  wooden  mats  shaped  somewhat  like 
butter  ladles,  each  one  of  which  is  inscribed 
with  the  name  and  residence  of  the  donor; 
the  ladles  are  on  sale  at  the  temple.  Not  only 
the  pillars,  but  every  available  place  in  the 
temple,  is  thus  utilized,  producing  a  very  gro- 
tesque effect.  The  plan  consists  in  each  person 
w  riting  his  name,  residence,  and  some  sentiment 
on  these  mats;  it  originated  after  the  Chinese- 
Japanese  war  in  1894,  when  pilgrims  came  to 
visit  the  temple  and  thus  paid  tribute  to  it. 

Near  the  temple  there  is  an  imposing  pagoda, 


b^ 


A   PICTURESQUE   PARTING       329 

also  of  ancient  date,  and  on  an  adjacent  knoll 
another  shrine.  Returning  to  the  hotel,  we 
noted  many  more  stone  lanterns,  and  still 
another  temple  with  its  attendant  torii.  We 
also  passed  through  the  lane-like  streets  of  the 
village,  thickly  lined  with  bazars;  the  shops 
were  filled  with  many  tasteful  articles,  carved 
wood  being  a  specialty  in  Miyajima.  These 
shops  reminded  us  of  Switzerland,  as  did  the 
heights,  a  portion  of  which  is  covered  with  an 
attractive  park. 

After  dinner,  we  regretfully  bade  adieu  to  the 
members  of  the  Trans-Siberian  party,  leaving  only 

Miss  M and  myself  to  return  to  Yokohama. 

To  speed  them  across  the  lake,  their  guide  had 
arranged  for  an  illumination,  produced  by  light- 
ing candles  in  many  of  the  tall  stone  lanterns ; 
this  we  also  enjoyed,  our  guide  taking  us  out  on 
the  lake  in  a  sampan ;  and  as  we  rode  toward 
the  great  torii  it  seemed  to  assume  immense 
proportions,  while  the  effect  of  the  lanterns  was 
magical.     It  was  indeed  a  fairylike  scene. 

We  were  called  at  four  the  following  morning, 
breakfasted  at  five,  and  were  on  our  steamer 
before  six  for  the  trip  to  Onomichi  on  the  Inland 
Sea.  The  island,  was  lovely  as  we  left  in  the 
early  light;  and  the  whole  landscape,  from  the 
towering  mountain  in  the  distance,  the  lesser 
ones  sloping  down  to  the  plateau,  to  the  sea, 
scintillated   in    brilliant   color;     even   the   great 


330    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR   EAST 

stone  lanterns  that  were  so  unique  the  evening 
previous  now  stood  out  in  bold  relief,  and  the 
old  torii  was  statelier  than  ever.  As  the  little 
village  and  shore  line  faded  away,  we  wished 
an  artist  could  have  caught  the  view.  We  sailed 
out  into  the  finest  part  of  the  Inland  Sea,  where 
the  shore  was  deeply  indented  with  rocky  prom- 
ontories, which  first  ended  in  a  high  projection 
to  our  right ;  to  the  left  was  a  continuous  line 
of  low  islands.  A  wide  extent  of  open  sea  was 
the  next  scene  in  the  panorama,  to  be  succeeded 
by  a  picturesque  island,  clad  in  verdure;  then 
two  small,  boldly  defined,  rocky  islands;  next 
a  low  range  of  five  islands  slightly  connected, 
seeming  like  a  tiny  range  in  mid-ocean ;  a  higher 
chain  of  islands  was  crenellated  and  presented 
the  appearance  of  being  scooped  out  and  show- 
ing a  light  yellow  soil.  The  scene  now  narrowed, 
and  the  mountains  on  either  side  showed  signs 
of  cultivation,  the  terraces  running  almost  to 
the  top.  The  guide  told  us  that  barley  was  the 
principal  cereal  raised.  A  mavellous  island  to 
our  left  now  presented  itself;  this  had  a  high, 
rocky  base,  from  which  seemingly  sprang  a 
miniature  forest,  the  tall  towering  evergreens 
lending  a  fringelike  appearance  near  the  sky- 
line. And  so  the  panorama  continued  with  ever- 
increasing  variety. 

We  paused  at  Ujima,  the  port  of  Hiroshima, 
where  perhaps   is  located    the    most  wonderful 


Co 


A  VESSEL  AGROUND  331 

garden  in  Japan.  Ujima  is  a  place  of  twelve 
thousand  inhabitants,  and  the  taking  on  of  cargo 
consumed  an  hour.  Soon  after,  we  came  to 
an  island  which  had  been  transformed  into  a 
magazine ;  the  side  presented  to  us  was  a  solid 
wall  of  rock.  This  was  the  precursor  to  our 
arrival  at  Kore,  the  most  important  naval 
station  in  Japan.  The  steamer  touched  anchor, 
which  gave  us  an  opportunity  to  note  the  many 
war-vessels  in  the  harbor,  three  of  which  had 
been  captured  from  the  Russians. 

Our  next  point  for  landing  passengers  was 
Tukehare,  in  the  narrowest  part  of  the  Inland 
Sea,  with  the  Pass  of  Oudo  in  Sato-See.  Here 
something  unexpected  occurred,  as  the  steamer 
ran  aground;  and,  after  persistent  efforts  to 
effect  our  release,  a  naval  craft  came  to  our 
assistance  and  had  to  tow  the  steamer  through. 

The  scene  now  widened  so  that  the  shore 
seemed  distant;  this  gave  leeway  for  shipping 
of  various  kinds,  large  and  small,  and  at  one 
time  I  counted  forty-five  craft  around  us.  Small 
sampans  with  thi'ee  or  four  sails  predominiited. 
Our  interest  now  centred  not  so  much  on  shore 
as  on  boldly  defined  islands  that  occasionally 
came  into  view.  In  another  place  there  were 
five  promontories  apparently  in  a  direct  line, — 
the  first,  dark  green ;  the  next,  pale  green ;  the 
next,  brown  in  tint;  the  next,  rocky;  the  fifth, 
foliage,  —  a  veritable  poem  in  color.   We  stopped 

44 


332    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

for  passengers  three  times  before  reaching  our 
destination. 

Our  lovely  trip  on  the  Inland  Sea  ended  at  the 
little  port  of  Onomichi,  where,  you  will  remem- 
ber, we  passed  the  night  at  a  Japanese  inn.  We 
left  at  once,  and  visited  some  of  the  temples  for 
which  Onomichi  is  famous.  We  first  went  to  a 
very  old  Buddhist  place  with  an  equally  ancient 
pagoda,  Sinkokuji ;  this  was  at  quite  a  height 
above  the  street,  and  was  in  decay.  Interest 
centred  chiefly  in  the  Senkiji  Temple,  rudely 
formed  of  huge  blocks  of  granite  which  seem  to 
spring  from  the  soil ;  to  reach  this,  we  climbed  a 
succession  of  tiers  of  stairs,  each  landing  afi^ord- 
ing  an  extended  view  of  the  hamlet.  The  shrine 
and  the  details  of  this  rock-bound  temple  were 
very  simple,  but  there  was  a  weird  impressive- 
ness  about  it. 

At  five  we  took  the  train  for  Kobe,  arriving 
there  at  nine,  this  time  staying  at  the  Mikado 
Hotel.  Having  been  there  twice  before,  the  visit 
was  simply  in  order  to  break  the  trip  to  Yoko- 
hama ;  so  a  jinrikisha  ride  and  a  visit  to  a  few 
shops  the  morning  following  sufficed  in  the  sight- 
seeing line;  and  in  the  evening  we  took  the 
night  train  for  Yokohama,  arriving  there  early 
on  the  morning  of  June  12th.  Yokohama  was 
to  be  our  headquarters  until  the  homeward  sail- 
ing, June  29th. 

I  have  before  spoken  of  the  beauty  of  the  bay 


«5 


RETURN   TO   YOKOHAMA        333 

and  the  fine  location  of  the  city.  The  heights 
reminded  me  of  Hong-Kong;  but  on  this  third 
visit  the  scene  seemed  to  have  gained  new 
interest,  for  all  Nature  was  in  her  Summer  dress, 
and  the  streets  and  parks  teemed  with  life. 
There  were  many  jinrikisha  rides  and  much 
general  enjoyment  during  the  two  weeks  and  a 
half  that  followed.  Yokohama  is  a  modern  city 
and  not  famed  for  sight-seeing  particularly, 
aside  from  the  shops,  which  are  of  great  interest 
and  are  filled  with  beautiful  things;  the  curios, 
silks,  and  embroideries  were  very  enticing,  and, 
as  dressmaking  can  be  done  well  and  economi- 
cally by  many  of  the  Chinese  tailors,  some  time 
is  devoted  even  by  tourists  to  that. 

Moto-machi  Temple  is  of  interest,  heading  the 
little  shopping  street  of  that  name,  which,  with 
Benten-dori  divides  the  interest  as  regards  small 
but  well-equipped  native  stores.  The  temple  is 
Buddhist. 

Nogeshima  is  a  hill  from  which  an  extended 
view  of  the  city  and  harbor  may  be  enjoyed. 
With  cherry  blossoms  in  May,  great  fields  of 
many-colored  iris  marked  the  month  of  June, 
and  an  expedition  to  such  a  field  proved  at- 
tractive. The  ride  around  Mississippi  Bay  is 
possibly  the  greatest  trip  for  an  afternoon's  ex- 
cursion. A  picturesque  feature  of  the  city  is  the 
one  hundred  steps  leading  to  the  heights,  on  the 
top  of  which  is  a  tea-house,  largely  frequented 


334    TRAVELS   IN   THE   EAR  EAST 

by  residents.  The  many  pleasant  homes  and 
churches  make  the  heights  very  attractive,  and 
one  morning  we  extended  our  jinrikisha  ride  to 
the  outskirts  so  as  to  visit  the  gardens  and  green- 
houses of  a  young  Japanese  who  suppUes  the 
hotel  with  peculiar  dwarfed  plants  for  the  dining- 
room  tables.  We  saw  some  maples  and  cedars 
twelve  inches  in  height  and  fifteen  years  old. 

The  park,  attractive  at  any  time,  is  especially 
interesting  in  May  on  account  of  the  cherry 
blossoms.  It  must  be  remembered  that  Yoko- 
hama was  only  a  fishing  village  when  Commodore 
Perry  anchored  there  in  1854 ;  it  was  not  the 
treaty  port  until  1858,  and  from  that  time  begins 
its  commercial  importance.  The  greatest  por- 
tion of  the  city  as  it  now  exists  dates  from  after 
the  fire  of  1866,  and  the  bluff  on  which  most  of 
the  residents  have  their  dwellings  was  first  leased 
for  building  purposes  in  1867 ;  since  then  a  large 
native  town  has  sprung  up  outside  the  foreign 
settlement. 

The  principal  excursion  from  Yokohama  is  to 
Kamakura,  about  one  hour's  ride  bv  train.  It 
was  once  the  capital  of  Japan,  from  the  end  of 
the  twelfth  to  the  fifteenth  century,  numbering 
over  one  million  inhabitants ;  but  it  now  affords 
no  indication  of  its  former  glory ;  it  is  only  a  little 
seaside  village  to-day,  and  its  principal  interests 
are  the  great  Dai-butzu,  or  Buddha,  and  certain 
other  temples;   the  Buddha  is  renowned  among 


03 


THE    TEMPLE   OF   HACHIMAN      335 

Japanese  works  of  art.  We  took  a  jinrikisha 
from  the  station,  and  first  visited  the  Temple  of 
Hachiman,  which  occupies  a  high  position  on  a 
hill  and  is  reached  through  an  avenue  of  pine 
trees.  We  passed  through  three  stone  toriis 
before  reaching  the  temple,  which  stands  at  the 
head  of  a  broad  flight  of  stone  steps. 

The  perspective  when  approaching  the  gigantic 
Buddha  is  fine,  and  gives  one,  at  a  distance  even, 
the  impression  of  great  majesty.  This  work 
dates  from  about  1252  a.  d.  It  was  originally 
enclosed  in  a  building,  fifty  yards  square,  whose 
roof  was  supported  on  sixty-three  massive 
wooden  pillars.  The  temple  buildings  were 
twice  destroyed  by  tidal  waves,  since  which  they 
have  not  been  re-erected,  and  the  image  has 
therefore  been  exposed  to  the  elements.  Within 
the  statue  is  a  large  room.  As  we  approached 
the  great  bronze  Buddha,  we  realized  an  in- 
definable, spiritual  significance;  it  stands  over 
forty-nine  feet  high  and  ninety-seven  feet  in 
circumference,  but  appears  serene,  seemingly  in 
the  attainment  of  absolute  peace  after  having 
reached  the  Nirvana. 

The  Temple  of  Kwannon  is  not  far  from 
the  Dai-butzu,  gn  an  eminence,  commanding  a 
beautiful  view  of  the  seashore  and  the  plain. 
We  had  luncheon  at  a  pretty  seaside  hotel,  Kama- 
kura  now  being  a  Summer  resort.  Afterwards 
we  took  a  tram  for  the  Sacred  Island  of  Enoshima. 


336    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

Arriving  at  the  village  of  Katse,  we  walked  across 
to  the  island.  Enoshima  presents  a  high  wooded 
aspect,  and  through  the  foliage  on  the  heights 
one  can  obtain  glimpses  of  many  tea-houses. 
From  the  earliest  ages  the  island  w^as  sacred  to 
Benten,  the  Buddhist  goddess  of  love.  Nearly 
all  of  the  temples  are  dedicated  to  Shinto  god- 
desses. The  most  sacred  spot  is  a  cave  on  the  far 
side  of  the  island,  one  hundred  and  twenty-four 
yards  in  depth,  the  height  at  the  entrance  being 
at  least  thirty  feet. 

We  next  took  the  train  for  Yumoto,  the  point 
of  departure  by  jinrikisha  for  Miyanoshita. 

The  train  ride  to  Yumoto  was  most  unusual, 
as  the  line  lay  through  a  succession  of  small 
villages,  the  road  sometimes  being  so  narrow 
that  we  could  see  into  the  homes  or  look  into 
shop  windows  as  we  went  through  a  business 
street.  At  Yumoto  we  took  a  jinrikisha  for  the 
ascent  to  Miyanoshita ;  the  route  was  picturesque. 
To  the  left  were  mountains,  the  rocky  sides 
sometimes  projecting  over  the  roadway,  and 
giving  me  the  sensation  of  imminent  danger. 

To  the  right,  far  below,  was  a  long  extended 
valley  through  which  poured  a  mountain  stream, 
the  murmur  of  which  was  a  continual  refrain. 
On  the  other  side  of  the  valley  was  a  towering 
range  of  mountains.  The  whole  scene  affects 
one  in  a  peculiarly  subtle  way ;  there  is  a  sensa- 
tion of  being  withdrawn  from  the  actual  experi- 


A  FAMILIAR  SIGNBOARD        337 

ences,  of  living  in  a  new  and  far-away  world. 
Suddenly  the  road  diverged,  and  we  had  moun- 
tains on  either  side;  another  turn,  and  on  a  tree 
was  a  signboard,  "Durkee's  Scotch  Whiskey." 
Instantly  the  *' supreme  moment"  vanished,  and 
I  was  again  in  my  home  city,  and  one  of  a  band 
of  women  battling  '*the  bill-board  nuisance." 
I  was  rebellious  at  thus  being  despoiled  of  my 
poetic  mood  and  tried  to  regain  lost  ground, 
but  erelong  another  turn  and  Durkee's  Scotch 
Whiskey  again  appeared !  Sadly  I  resigned 
myself  to  fate  and  awaited  our  arrival  at  the 
Fujira  Hotel. 

It  was  dark  when  we  reached  the  little  village 
and  went  still  farther  up  the  slope  to  where  the 
lights  were  gleaming  from  the  circling,  four- 
divisioned  hostelry. 

As  I  entered  the  spacious  hall  and  caught 
glimpses  of  the  adjacent  apartments,  then  went 
upward  to  my  own  dainty  room  furnished  in 
European  style,  I  felt  a  sense  of  relief.  Two 
little  maids  appeared  to  offer  service,  a  pretty 
kimono  and  slippers  suggested  comfort,  and  I 
was  content !  Descending  to  the  dining-room  a 
little  later,  I  met  an  English  lady  and  her  brother, 
who  had  been  steamer  and  hotel  companions 
several  times,  and  this  furnished  more  good  cheer. 

The  following  morning,  I  joined  an  early  party 
for  the  excursion  to  Lake  Hakone.  It  was  a 
glorious  day  and  promised  well  for  the  hoped-for 


338    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

view  of  Mt.  Fujiyama,  12,000  feet  above  the 
sea. 

The  way  is  too  rough  and  mountainous  to  be 
taken  other  than  in  a  sedan  chair.  At  first  we 
had  lovely  mountain  scenery,  then  the  road  grew 
wilder  and  mountain  gorges  appeared  on  either 
hand,  then  in  one  place  there  were  far  distant 
mountains,  a  nearer  range  almost  sloping  to  our 
pathway.  Sometimes  the  ascent  was  so  steep 
and  the  path  so  narrow  that  it  required  much 
holding  on  to  retain  the  seat  in  the  chair. 

This  was  even  more  difficult  when  we  began  to 
make  our  descent  to  the  village,  which  is,  however, 
2378  feet  above  the  sea  (Miyanoshita  is  1377 
feet).  The  little  Japanese  tea-house  where  we 
tarried  and  had  our  luncheon  is  finely  located 
close  to  the  shore  of  Lake  Hakone,  a  beautiful 
body  of  water  with  wooded  shores.  This  lake  is 
popular  for  boating  and  bathing. 

From  the  window  we  looked  out  on  the  distant 
sacred  mountain,  Fujiyama,  which  is  revered 
by  all  Japan.  Sometimes  the  clouds  rested 
lovingly  on  its  crest,  and  sometimes  almost 
veiled  it,  but  twice  we  saw  the  entire  snow- 
covered  space  and  no  adjective  can  describe  the 
matchless  glory  of  that  view.  Poets  have  sung  of 
it,  and  legend  has  woven  fantastic  tales  around 
it,  which  the  natives  accept  without  a  doubt. 

Mt.  Fugii  is  the  scene  in  Summer  of  constant 
visitations  —  about  forty  thousand  pilgrims  ap- 


YOKOHAMA   AGAIN  339 

pearing  there  yearly,  mostly  of  the  working- 
class.  Before  the  sixteenth  century  the  mountain 
was  in  a  constant  state  of  eruption,  the  last 
great  activity  occurring  at  the  beginning  of  the 
eighteenth  century. 

The  ride  across  the  lake  is  pleasant,  —  the 
castle  an  interesting  feature,  —  and  by  taking 
it,  one  discovers  a  different  way  to  return  to 
Miyanoshita,  but  I  preferred  the  route  of  the 
morning,  as  the  reverse  views  are  always  rein- 
forcingly  interesting. 

There  were  pleasant  short  w^alks  from  our 
hotel  and  many  very  easy  excursions,  so  one 
naturally  lingers,  as  long  as  possible.  The 
friends  I  alluded  to  had  been  there  two  weeks. 
I  left  with  regret. 

The  third  morning  we  started  out  in  a  pouring 
rain,  and  so  had  a  closed  jinrikisha ;  if  we  missed 
the  beauty  of  the  scenery  in  our  descent  to 
Yumoto,  we  took  comfort  in  the  fact  that  we 
escaped  the  '*bill  board  "  ! 

Arriving  at  Yokohama,  I  found  a  whole  bevy 
of  friends  at  the  hotel  awaiting  the  departure 
of  the  next  steamer  for  San  Francisco.  We  had 
all  met  at  different  places,  once,  twice,  or  thrice, 
and  thus  pleasant  reminiscences  and  sociability 
now  prevailed.  Three  were  to  leave  on  the 
Korea,  scheduled  to  sail  on  June  29th,  which 
augured  well  for  my  homeward  passage. 

I  had  intended  returning  to  Tokio,  but,  re- 


340    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR   EAST 

membering  each  detail  of  iny  former  visit  vividly, 
I  decided  instead  to  try  to  see  Tokio  through 
others'  eyes.  The  Emperor  and  Empress  are 
spoken  of  with  the  utmost  respect,  the  Emperor 
being  progressive  in  pubUc  and  poUtical  ideas. 
The  Empress  is  said  to  have  a  fine  mind  and  to 
be  accompUshed ;  in  matters  of  social  importance 
she  has  been  instrumental  in  breaking  down 
many  barriers;  and  while  we  needs  must  regret 
the  adoption  of  Parisian  modes  of  dress  by  the 
court,  we  must  remember  it  was  done  with  the 
distinct  purpose  of  harmonizing  the  customs 
of  the  Orient  with  those  of  the  Occident.  A 
diplomat  spoke  of  Tokio  as  an  agreeable  place 
of  residence  in  every  way.  Native  and  foreign 
hospitality  in  the  home  are  absolutely  separate; 
the  Japanese  wife  does  not  receive  general 
visits,  but  her  husband  may  entertain  royally 
at  his  club,  and  most  elaborate  entertainments 
are  spoken  of.  The  social  circles  of  Tokio  and 
Yokohama  have  common  interests,  as  the  cities 
are  but  a  short  distance  apart  and  there  is  a 
mutual  acquaintance.  I  met  tw^o  American 
ladies  who  have  resided  over  thirty-five  years  in 
Yokohama,  and  they  are  most  loyal  in  their  views. 
In  other  lands  I  have  visited,  I  have  only 
dared  give  a  tourist's  impressions  fortified  by 
some  acknowledged  authority,  or  by  those  who 
have  had  the  advantage  of  a  long-time  residence. 
My  Japanese  impressions  can  only  hint  at  what 


45 


JAPANESE   HONESTY  341 

this  wonderful  land  offers  in  beauty,  in  poetic 
sentiment,  and  in  development  of  life.  To  under- 
stand her  people,  one  must  be  a  student  for 
years;  even  Lafcadio  Hearn  admitted,  after 
sixteen  years,  that  he  knew  very  little  of  the 
land  and  of  the  people.  Every  bow%  every  cour- 
tesy embodies  a  tradition  of  ages,  handed  down 
from  generation  to  generation.  This  truth  should 
do  away  with  the  popular  belief  that  Japanese 
courtesy  is  all  affectation. 

There  is  another  statement  that  ought  to  be 
carefully  considered;  it  is  that  the  Japanese, 
as  a  people,  are  dishonest.  I  have  heard  this 
opinion  expressed  usually  in  a  comparison 
between  the  Chinese  and  the  Japanese,  the 
instance  of  employment  of  Chinese  bookkeepers 
and  accountants  being  cited  as  proof.  I  talked 
with  several  persons  who  had  ground  for  their 
belief,  and  the  consensus  of  opinion  exonerated 
the  Japanese  from  so  serious  a  charge.  One  said 
the  Japanese,  with  all  their  versatility,  have  little 
aptitude  for  figures  and  realize  it;  another  said 
that  a  descendant  of  the  old  samurai  would 
scorn  to  take  the  position  of  a  bookkeeper,  con- 
sidering the  position  beneath  him.  Everywhere 
in  Japan  I  left  doors  and  drawers  unlocked  and 
never  lost  an  article.  At  the  hotel  in  Yokohama, 
when  leaving  for  a  three  days'  absence,  I  applied 
at  the  office  for  keys  to  the  chiffonier  and  ward- 
robe.   The  clerk  said,  ''Does  your  door  lock.^" 


342    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

I  replied,  ''Yes."  ''You  need  then  have  no 
fear,  as  the  servants  are  invariably  honest." 
One  gentleman,  however,  admitted  that  in  the 
matter  of  the  verbal  contract  the  Chinaman 
would  consider  it  to  be  as  binding  as  a  written 
one,  while  the  Japanese  might  break  it.  We 
Americans  usually  require  written  contracts  at 
home,  and  we  occasionally  hear  of  dishonesty 
and  defalcation ;  but  would  we  for  a  moment 
like  to  be  considered  a  dishonest  people  because 
of  these  isolated  instances  ? 

We  were  constantly  meeting  some  one  who 
was  contrasting  the  two  countries  with  a  view  of 
emphasizing  China's  supremacy.  Many  seemed 
jealous  because  Japan  had  succeeded  in  shaking 
off  the  shackles  imposed  by  law  and  custom,  and 
had  made  remarkable  strides  along  the  lines  of 
progress.  China  with  her  wonderful  past,  her 
great  resources  and  intellectual  force,  will  do  the 
same  thing  some  day,  when  she  emerges  from  a 
tyranny  of  law^  and  tradition  that  covers  a 
"modern"  period  of  three  thousand  years.  The 
victory  of  Japan  over  China  in  1894  taught  one 
lesson;  but  the  Russian- Japanese  war  was  even 
a  greater  lesson,  —  one  that  the  new  party  in 
China  has  not  failed  to  make  use  of,  and  only  time 
can  tell  the  outcome.  The  difference  between 
the  two  nations  is  one  of  kind,  not  of  degree; 
there  is  little  racial  sympathy  between  them,  and 
fifty   years   from   now,   if   one   reads   the   signs 


JAPANESE   CHARACTER  343 

correctly,  there  may  be  more  sympathy  between 
Japan  and  Russia  than  between  Japan  and 
China. 

The  Japanese  are  sincere  in  their  unbounded 
desire  to  improve,  particularly  to  acquire  a 
knowledge  of  English  and  other  languages.  In 
shops  or  corners  you  will  see  unkempt  boys 
poring  over  an  English  primer  or  reader.  They 
are  all  provident  as  a  people,  and  since  the  close 
of  the  war  the  nation  has  bent  every  energy 
toward  industrial  development. 

Considerable  has  been  said  about  the  Japanese 
war  loan ;  there  is  authority  for  stating  that  much 
of  the  money  thus  borrowed  at  that  time  was  used 
for  industrial  expansion,  as  six  railways  alone 
were  bought  in  1906,  and  we  have  seen  the 
amount  expended  in  Manchuria  in  keeping  up 
a  long  line  in  an  alien  land  at  a  great  expense. 
Of  Japan's  commercial  future  much  might  be 
said.  Truly,  we  of  the  United  States  ought  to 
respect  a  people  who  have  ideals  somewhat  like 
our  own. 

So  many  courtesies  had  been  extended  to  us 
at  the  Grand  Hotel  in  Yokohama  that  we  left 
with  a  profound  feeling  of  appreciation.  The 
steamer  Korea,  of  the  Pacific  Line,  was  to  be 
our  home  for  sixteen  days.  A  friend  arrived 
from  North  China,  who  became  my  room-mate, 
and  the  conditions  were  in  every  way  pleasant. 
The  social  life  aboard  was  similar  to  that  on  an 


344    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

English  steamer;  many  games  were  projected 
and  prizes  given,  the  most  elaborate  things 
being  reserved  for  the  Fourth  of  July,  both  for 
children  and  adults.  Greatly  to  my  surprise,  I 
was  awakened  on  that  morning  by  a  volley  of 
fire-crackers  from  the  end  of  the  deck.  A  festive 
s})irit  prevailed  all  day,  and  in  the  evening  an 
extensive  concert  was  given  in  the  salon. 

The  first  real  excitement  was  our  arrival  at 
Honolulu  on  July  9th,  where  we  were  allowed 
one  day.  The  city,  with  its  beautiful  location 
and  tropical  vegetation,  is  too  well  known  to 
need  description.  We  went  first  by  automobile 
to  Mt.  Pali,  quite  a  distance  in  the  country; 
here  we  had  a  wonderful  view  looking  across  a 
long  level  stretch  to  a  point  beyond  which  were 
rice-fields  in  the  stage  of  early  green,  and  beyond 
that  a  sugar  plantation,  and  beyond  that  still 
farther  off  a  mass  of  green  foliage.  The  land- 
scape at  once  marked  Honolulu  as  being  some- 
what akin  to  Java.  The  mountains  here  are 
volcanic  in  their  origin. 

Returning  from  Pali,  we  went  to  the  Punch 
Bowl  and  Diamond  Head,  an  extinct  volcano. 
Next,  we  took  a  long  drive  along  the  sea  front  to 
the  beautiful  hotel  called  Moana,  where  we  met 
friends.  The  ride  led  through  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal residence  streets,  and  we  noticed  beautiful 
homes  with  their  extensive  grounds  and  pro- 
fusion of  palms,  shrubs,  and  flowers.     We  also 


SAN   FRANCISCO  345 

saw  the  former  palace  of  the  Queen,  which  is 
now  reserved  as  the  Governor's  residence.  We 
then  went  to  Young's  Hotel  for  lunch,  and,  after 
that,  visited  some  minor  points  of  interest  and 
some  shops,  returning  to  the  steamer  in  the 
late  afternoon,  feeling  that  Honolulu  was  indeed 
one  of  the  beauty  spots  of  earth.  On  reaching 
the  ship,  it  seemed  as  if  every  passenger  —  man, 
woman,  and  child  —  was  decorated  with  long 
wreaths  of  flowers  reaching  to  the  ground;  the 
flowers  are  ruthlessly  pulled  to  pieces  and  strung 
together  to  tempt  the  tourists.  It  was  really  a 
very  beautiful  sight,  but  unfortunately  the  flowers 
soon  faded. 

The  day  following  we  saw  the  battle  fleet,  only 
about  two  miles  distant,  en  route  for  Yoko- 
hama ;  there  were  fifteen  war-vessels,  and  it  was 
indeed  a  wonderful  spectacle. 

We  arrived  in  the  harbor  of  San  Francisco  at 
noon  on  July  14th,  and,  after  the  usual  delay 
with  the  health  officer,  we  were  soon  in  the 
throes  of  the  custom  house,  and  it  was  an 
ordeal  never  before  experienced.  We  had  been 
told  by  the  steward  on  the  steamer  that  we  must 
strictly  follow  the  regulations  laid  down  in  the 
circular  issued  by  the  Government,  December, 
1907.  I  paid  the  {)enalty  of  my  honesty,  and  the 
law  was  strictly  enforced.  I  said  to  the  custom 
house  oflricer:  **The  lady  opposite  was  through 
nearly  an  hour  ago."    He  remarked :  ''She  prob- 


346    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

ably  told  a  good  many  lies."  And  that  was  the 
consolation  I  had;  having  paid  my  duty  in  a 
resigned  frame  of  mind,  believing  in  a  protective 
tariff,  I  departed. 

The  view  of  the  harbor  as  we  entered  had 
seemed  quite  as  it  was  of  old,  and  indeed  its 
beauty  impressed  me  more  than  ever  before; 
but,  as  I  left  the  wharf  and  drove  along  some 
of  the  streets  of  the  earthquake-stricken  city, 
there  was  a  heartache,  so  much  of  wreck  and 
ruin  was  evident.  My  companion,  who  was  in 
San  Francisco  two  years  before,  told  me  that  the 
renovation  seemed  wonderful,  —  an  opinion  in 
which  I  concurred  after  arriving  at  the  St. 
Francis  Hotel,  for  there  were  fine  blocks  newly 
built  in  the  vicinity. 

I  remained  a  few  days  in  San  Francisco,  and 
visited  certain  familiar  points,  most  of  my 
friends  being  out  of  the  city  in  the  month  of 
July.  I  went  across  to  the  beautiful  suburb  of 
Oakland  and  visited  some  shops  which  seemed 
to  me  quite  equal  (except  in  their  buildings)  to 
those  of  old.  No  one  can  visit  San  Francisco  at 
the  present  time  without  being  impressed  with  the 
energy  and  enthusiasm  displayed  and  by  the 
amount  of  work  being  accomplished. 

I  left  on  July  20th,  over  the  Shasta  route  of 
the  Southern  Pacific.  This  way  is  so  widely 
known  for  its  beauty  of  scenery  that  it  seems 
unnecessary   to   attempt   any   description.      Mt. 


TOWARD   BELLINGHAM  347 

Shasta  wore  a  smiling  face  the  morning  of  our 
arrival,  the  recent  heat  wave  having  melted  much 
of  the  snow  that  crowns  its  rugged  summit. 

Portland  has  a  splendid  location,  with  moun- 
tains and  the  sea  alike  accessible,  broad  streets, 
and  an  unusually  fine  residence  portion.  Mt. 
Hood  was,  however,  wreathed  in  smoke  on  ac- 
count of  the  prevailing  forest  fires.  The  railway 
journey  from  Portland  to  Seattle  is  not  lacking 
in  interest,  as  there  is  varied  scenery  the  entire 
way. 

A  week  in  Seattle  revived  the  impression  of 
three  years  since,  but  the  city  has  made  wonderful 
progress  meanwhile,  not  only  in  growth  of  pop- 
ulation but  in  important  public  buildings  and 
in  the  wealth  of  private  residences,  particularly 
on  the  heights  for  which  Seattle,  like  San  Fran- 
cisco, is  famous.  Mt.  Rainier  was  shrouded  in 
mist  and  smoke,  but  Puget  Sound  and  Lakes 
Washington  and  Union  added  unusual  features 
to  the  landscape  setting. 

A  detour  of  a  day  to  Tacoma  showed  another 
beautifully  located  city  high  above  Puget  Sound, 
which,  having  once  been  v^ry  prosperous,  passed 
through  a  reactionary  stage,  but  is  again  alert 
and  vigorous.  Tacoma  has  also  fine  buildings 
and  attractive  homes,  and  a  great  future  lies 
before  it. 

The  railway  journey  from  Seattle  to  Belling- 
ham  —  about  one  hundred  miles  —  is  interest- 


348    TRAVELS   IN   THE   FAR  EAST 

ing,  for  until  we  reach  Everett  we  have  Puget 
Sound  to  our  left  and  forests  to  our  right,  only 
broken  at  a  few  points  by  small  towns.  Then 
we  lose  sight  of  the  Sound  until  within  a  few 
miles  of  Bellingham.  The  next  reach  of  inter- 
vening waterway  is  termed  Bellingham  Bay,  and 
it  furnishes  a  setting  for  a  city  situated  both  on 
hills  and  lowland,  withal  very  picturesque,  Mt. 
Baker  near  in  view  and  the  Selkirk  range  dimly 
visible.  Bellingham  is  really  a  combination  of 
four  towns,  Whatcom,  Fair  Haven,  Sea  Home, 
and  South  Bellingham  ;  it  is  a  city  of  about  thirty- 
seven  thousand  inhabitants.  The  unifying  process 
is  going  on,  and  in  a  few  years  its  separate  identity 
will  be  forgotten,  for  with  its  large  interests  — 
lumber  and  the  salmon  fisheries  (here  are  located 
the  most  important  establishments  in  the  world 
for  the  canning  of  salmon)  —  Bellingham  has  a 
future  before  it,  and  my  sojourn  there  is  fraught 
with  many  pleasant  recollections  of  courtesies  re- 
ceived, aside  from  the  good  cheer  of  my  daugh- 
ter's home. 

The  State  of  Washington,  with  its  fine  climate, 
great  forests,  and  fertile  soil,  supplemented  by 
natural  beauty  of  landscape,  proved  a  revelation 
to  me. 

My  way  eastward  lay  over  the  Canadian  Pa- 
cific Railroad.  Three  years  previous  I  had  passed 
days  in  the  Canadian  Rockies;  so  Vancouver, 
Glacier,  Field,  Laggan,  and  Banff  recalled  familiar 


HOME  349 

associations,  Avhile  the  intervening  scenery  had 
lost  none  of  its  exciting  interest.  Certain  it  is 
that  you  rarely  find  finer  mountains,  either  at 
home  or  abroad. 

A  few  hours'  stay  in  St.  Paul  and  the  renewal 
of  some  pleasant  associations,  and  I  was  speed- 
ing homeward,  arriving  in  Milwaukee  early  on 
the  morning  of  September  30,  1908,  almost  a  year 
from  the  time  of  my  departure. 

In  closing  let  me  quote  an  extract,  written  eight 
years  ago,  on  a  return  with  my  daughter  from 
over  a  year's  absence  abroad  (including  the 
Western  Orient)  :  ''Gazing  on  the  lake  front  at 
Janeau  Park  and  looking  onward  to  the  terraced 
slopes  of  Prospect  Avenue,  then  on  to  the  sky 
line  of  the  water-tower,  I  exclaimed,  *  No  fairer 
scene  has  met  my  vision.'  At  which  sentiment 
the  bronze  statue  of  Solomon  Janeau  before  me 
seemed  to  nod  approval,  as  a  Founder  should." 


THE    END 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 


LOAN  DEPT. 


1^    This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 
I  on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 

Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


22P9'65s»l 

REC'D  Lb 

FEB  21 '65 -5  PM 

f 

BiTR     DEC  2  2  1981 

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